By NAOMI ISHAKU BUGO

The Niger Government has inaugurated a 28-member State Health Advisory Committee to build a more responsive, resilient, and sustainable health system.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Umaru Bago inaugurated the committee on Saturday in Minna.

NAN also reports that the committee is made up of 21 health professionals and seven ex-officio members.

The committee’s terms of reference include serving as a standing multi-stakeholder platform to provide independent, evidence-driven advice to the State Ministry of Health.

The committeee will also review action plans, implementation strategies, and recommend practical options to improve collaboration among researchers, policymakers, programme managers, and beneficiaries.

Other mandates include advising the ministry on contemporary health sector challenges, building consensus on complex issues, and establishing feedback mechanisms between policy administrators and the public.

Inaugurating the committee, Gov. Bago, represented by his deputy, Mr Yakubu Garba, said the inauguration reflects his administration’s commitment to inclusive leadership and evidence-based governance.

He noted that global healthcare systems were evolving rapidly, making it necessary for governments to take informed decisions to address emergencies effectively.

“Today, we are bringing together some of the finest minds our state has produced in the health sector.

“People whose careers have been defined by excellence, integrity, sacrifice, and service to humanity,” the governor said.

He added that although many of the members have retired from public service, their wealth of knowledge remains one of the state’s greatest strategic assets.

Gov. Bago said the committee would provide professional guidance, support policy development, strengthen sector reforms, and recommend solutions to improve healthcare delivery across the state.

He urged members to carry out the assignment with patriotism, professionalism, and integrity, and assured them of government’s support to work effectively.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Bagana, said healthcare was changing at an unprecedented pace, with evolving disease patterns, new technologies, and rising public expectations amid limited resources.

He described the committee as a strategic body that would strengthen governance, preserve institutional memory, and ensure that policy and planning were guided by evidence and professional excellence.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Nasiru Umar, commended the initiative and promised legislative steps to institutionalise the committee for sustainability.

Speaking on behalf of the members, Dr Elijah Sokomba thanked the government for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to deploy their expertise to deliver on the committee’s mandate. (NAN)