By Zainab Bakare
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the World Bank and Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, has launched a Health Security Scorecard to strengthen states’ preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
The scorecard was unveiled at a validation workshop in Abuja on Wednesday. It is designed to provide a single framework for assessing health security across Nigeria’s 36 states and guiding evidence-based public health decisions.
Executive Director of Programme Partnership at the NGF Secretariat, Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab, said the initiative would help governors monitor health security performance, identify gaps and improve accountability.
He explained that while national policies provide direction, effective disease prevention and emergency response depend on strong implementation at the state level.
According to Abdulwahab, the scorecard combines key health security indicators into one standardised assessment tool, reducing duplication and giving policymakers clear data to guide investments and strengthen preparedness.
He added that the framework would help states evaluate their current level of readiness and prioritise actions needed to improve health security systems.
Executive Director of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, Dr Nanlop Ogburuke, said strengthening state capacity is critical to preventing and responding to outbreaks such as cholera, Lassa fever and Ebola.
She noted that representatives from all 36 states and development partners are reviewing the scorecard’s indicators to ensure they reflect the realities and needs of each state.
The NCDC’s Dr Oyeladun Okunromade said the workshop aims to identify weaknesses in state health security systems and establish an accountability framework for measuring performance.
Meanwhile, the World Bank reaffirmed its support for Nigeria’s efforts to build stronger and more resilient health systems capable of preventing, detecting and responding to public health emergencies.
Participants agreed that the Health Security Scorecard will improve accountability, support data-driven decision-making and strengthen disease preparedness across all 36 states.
