The ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, has called on the state government to review its policy on post-retirement appointments and extensions for retired civil servants.

Dan’iya, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, alleged that retaining retired officials in active positions was weakening the state civil service and limiting career opportunities for younger workers.

He said the policy had affected various levels of the public service, including primary and secondary school teachers, headmasters, principals and Permanent Secretaries.

According to him, some retired officials were allegedly allowed to remain in their former positions beyond the statutory retirement age instead of being engaged through clearly defined contracts for specific assignments.

“A civil service survives on rules, professionalism, succession and institutional memory. Once those principles are deliberately weakened, the institution itself begins to collapse,” Dan’iya said.

The ADC candidate also alleged that some people without relevant professional backgrounds were being appointed to sensitive positions, claiming that teachers were sometimes deployed as finance officers while trained financial officers were sidelined.

He further claimed that reports from civil servants at the Shehu Kangiwa and Usman Faruk Secretariats indicated that some workers had little or no meaningful work to perform, while others allegedly reported to their offices only a few days a week.

Dan’iya said the situation could affect the government’s ability to deliver essential services in education, healthcare, water, infrastructure, agriculture and security.

“You cannot build a modern state with a civil service that has been reduced to merely occupying offices. Government exists to serve the people, and the civil service is the machinery through which that service is delivered,” he said.

He urged the state government to review its policy on post-retirement appointments, extensions and placements, saying retired civil servants whose expertise was still needed should be engaged through clearly defined contracts rather than indefinite extensions.

Dan’iya said his administration, if elected, would prioritise merit-based appointments and promotions, proper succession planning and the deployment of officers according to their qualifications and areas of competence.

“The Sokoto civil service must not be allowed to die quietly. It is the machinery of government, and when that machinery stops working, the entire state suffers,” Dan’iya said.

A new report by eHealth Africa has revealed that more than 23 million children were reached and vaccinated against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases across more than 205,000 settlements in Nigeria between January and June 2026.

The report, titled “Expanding Reach, Readiness and Resilience: Data-Driven Health Systems Across Africa,” indicates that the vaccination figure was part of a broader set of interventions implemented during the first half of 2026.

Digital tools support vaccination campaigns

In partnership with its immunisation partners, eHealth Africa said it expanded the deployment of its in-house PlanFeld digital tool across 253 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 10 northern states.

Through the tool, 33,837 vaccination teams were provided with digitised microplans and catchment-area maps, the report stated.

The technology was also deployed across four LGAs in Lagos State during the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign, with 1,980 digitised maps produced and distributed to vaccination teams.

The report further highlighted efforts to strengthen the last-mile vaccine supply chain in Sokoto State.

Through the Vaccine Direct Delivery (VDD) intervention, the number of health facilities served increased from 351 to 407 during the period.

Approximately 3.41 million vaccine antigens were delivered to the facilities to support immunisation services in underserved communities, according to the report.

Solar power for primary healthcare centres

Beyond immunisation, the report documented eHealth Africa’s investment in renewable energy for primary healthcare.

Under the Renewable Energy for Primary Health Care (RE4PHC) intervention, supported by UNICEF, the organisation solarised 238 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across 12 states.

Of the 238 facilities, 226 were remotely monitored and generated 277,800 kilowatt-hours of solar electricity between January and June, the report stated.

eHealth Africa estimated that the electricity generated saved about N166 million in fuel costs and prevented 240 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions during the period.

Since the intervention began, estimated fuel savings have exceeded N414 million, according to the report.

Strengthening laboratories and emergency response

The report also highlighted efforts to strengthen diagnostic and disease-surveillance capacity across Africa.

eHealth Africa said it supported 17 laboratories in 13 countries and expanded its Inventory Management System to 18 laboratories.

Upgrades to five laboratories in Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria and Cameroon were also completed and handed over during the period.

The organisation said the upgrades would strengthen infrastructure for diagnosis, surveillance and outbreak response.

Public health

On public health emergency preparedness, eHealth Africa said its 11 Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in Nigeria continued to serve as coordination platforms for government agencies, surveillance teams, immunisation officials and development partners.

During the first half of 2026, the centres hosted 546 emergency coordination meetings and supported 102 meetings linked to vaccination campaigns, the report stated.

They also produced 74 public health scorecards to support planning and performance monitoring.

Monitoring medicines at the community level

The report also documented an expansion of community-level surveillance of antibiotic availability and suspected substandard and falsified medicines through the Com-WATCH initiative.

The programme covered Kano, Gombe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and the Federal Capital Territory, with 2,512 surveillance actors enrolled.

A further 2,763 medicine vendors and other actors received training, while more than 20,500 community members were reached with sensitisation messages.

By June, 977 medicine outlets were reporting stock information through the platform, eHealth Africa reported.

Humanitarian support

In humanitarian operations, the organisation stated that it managed the World Food Programme Common Storage facility in Ngala, Borno State, which supported 16 humanitarian partners during the period.

According to the report, the warehouse handled 691 metric tons and 2,527 cubic metres of commodities, while six monthly physical inventories were completed.

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The organisation said no stock losses were reported during the period.

‘Significance goes beyond numbers’

Commenting on the findings, eHealth Africa’s Executive Director, Atef Fawaz, said the results reflected what could be achieved when governments, communities, technology, infrastructure and local expertise worked together to strengthen healthcare delivery.

He said the organisation’s focus was not simply on deploying solutions but on building systems that institutions could own, sustain and continue to improve.

“The significance of these results goes beyond the numbers,” Mr Fawaz said.