Niger State Begins Training for Frontline Health Workers
By Fatima Nana Mohammed
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Niger State Ministry of Primary Health Care and supervised by the Niger State Ministry of Secondary and Tertiary Health Care, has launched a week-long training program for 240 frontline health workers. The focus of the training is on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), and it is taking place in Bida Local Council.
During the kickoff of the training, Hajiya Asmau Abubakar Mohammed, the Niger State Nutrition Officer and Secretary of the State Committee for Food and Nutrition, emphasized that this initiative builds on previous Training of Trainers (TOT) sessions and includes education for secondary health facility workers as well.
“As a result of this training, we have significantly improved our data collection efforts,” stated Asmau. “Previously, we faced challenges in collecting data, but we are now ensuring that all information is fully documented.
This allows us to make informed decisions regarding nutrition initiatives and helps us identify how many individuals need training and the number of beneficiaries we aim to serve.”
Hajiya Asmau expressed her confidence that participants will apply the knowledge gained from the training at their respective facilities, leading to increased awareness about nutrition at the local level and improved health outcomes for mothers and children under five.
She announced that a total of 550 frontline health workers are expected to be trained across the three senatorial districts in the state, with plans to extend the training to other areas in the near future.
Earlier, Shehu Mohammed Etsugaie, the Project Manager of the Accelerated Nutrition in Nigeria (ARIN) project in Niger State, shared that ARIN, which began operations in 2018, is set to conclude on December 31, 2024. He highlighted that the agency is implementing sustainable measures, including raising awareness among traditional leaders about the program.
“At the health facility level, health workers are being trained to deliver essential health interventions,” said Etsugaie. “We have also engaged community volunteers to foster local ownership of the program. These volunteers have been instrumental in providing basic health care, especially in nutrition interventions, for the past four years.”
In an interview, Ibrahim Ahmed, a participant from the Primary Health Care sector in Munya Local Council, noted that the MIYCN training has significantly enhanced his understanding and he is committed to sharing this knowledge with the community.
Let us empower our health workers to make a lasting impact on our communities.
