The European Union has welcomed progress
in strengthening health systems in Kwara State, where EU-supported
interventions have reached 35,796 people, generated 12,264 referrals and helped
about 10,000 people access healthcare services free of charge.

The results were presented during a review
of the EU-SARAH partnership in Kwara, where discussions focused on sustaining
progress through stronger state ownership, financing and coordination.

Speaking at the meeting, the Head of
Partnerships at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca, said
the visit provided an opportunity to assess progress and better understand how
the EU's wider cooperation with Kwara could respond to the state's priorities.

“Part of the objectives of this visit is
to understand how we work on the broader partnership between the European Union
and Kwara,” De Luca said.

He noted that EU and EU Member State
engagement in Kwara extends beyond health to areas including energy, skills,
agriculture, civil society, peace and security.

A key focus of the discussion was
sustainability, including the level of state financing for health and the
release of budgeted funds.

Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr
Amina Ahmed El-Imam, said the proportion of the state's budget allocated to
health had risen from about 4 per cent to 15 per cent in 2026.

“Kwara has made consistent progress from
about 4 per cent of the budget and, in 2026, it's 15 per cent of the budget,”
she said.

While acknowledging that budget releases
were not always 100 per cent, the Commissioner said releases had increased
year-on-year over the past seven years. She stressed that the state was working
towards partnerships based on mutual contribution rather than long-term
dependence on external support.

Responding, De Luca described the state's
approach as encouraging and emphasised the importance of strong systems,
accountability and local ownership in sustaining development gains.

“Thank you so much for this very
encouraging vision and account of what you have done,” he said.

The Director of Public Health at the Kwara
State Ministry of Health, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, presented results from the
programme, including 35,796 people reached through community mobilisation and
12,264 referrals to health services.

He said about 10,000 people had also
accessed healthcare services free of charge through project support.

Other interventions include the deployment
of 100 community midwives, expansion of nursing training, support for family
planning, health insurance enrolment for vulnerable groups, mentorship for
primary healthcare facilities and efforts to digitalise health data.

Fakayode said Kwara was increasingly using
health data to guide decision-making, including identifying Ilorin and Moro
local government areas for particular attention based on their contribution to
maternal mortality. The state has also developed a roadmap for transitioning
from paper-based to digital health systems.

Young people participating in the
programme also shared their perspectives.

Fauziyyah Alaaya, representative of
adolescents in Kwara and Speaker of the State's Children's Parliament, welcomed
the inclusion of adolescents and young people in health interventions.

“I want to acknowledge the European Union
for this laudable initiative,” Alaaya said.

She stressed the importance of ensuring
young people remained part of the state's health response.

“Our population is getting younger, and we
cannot afford the luxury of time,” she said.

The review reinforced the importance of
translating development cooperation into stronger systems that can be sustained
locally. The EU and Kwara State will continue building on progress already
recorded, with greater local ownership and coordination at the centre of
efforts to improve health outcomes.