MTN Foundation,PSHAN team up to remodel 52 PHCs nationwide

Business a.m

MTN Foundation (MTNF) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with  the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN),to support the revitalisation of 52 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Nigeria.

The official signing ceremony between MTNF and PSHAN marked the beginning of an impactful collaboration to revitalise primary healthcare centres in Nigeria. The effort is part of MTN Foundation’s ‘What Can We Do Together’ (WCWDT) initiative, which has a total budget of N2.2 billion. The project aims to improve the health and well-being of communities across Nigeria, with a particular focus on providing access to quality healthcare.

Speaking at the signing ceremony,Tinuola Akinbolagbe, PSHAN’s managing director, expressed her delight that the partnership was officially underway. She acknowledged the hard work and dedication that had gone into making the agreement a reality.

“In implementing this nationwide programme, PSHAN and MTN Foundation play pivotal roles, showcasing a collaborative approach to healthcare improvement in Nigeria. MTN Foundation’s commitment to 52 selected PHCs across Nigeria underscores their commitment to enhancing healthcare infrastructure and services across all geopolitical zones,” she said.

Akinbolagbe explained that the partnership is focused on delivering real, tangible results for communities at the grassroots level. She added that the PHCs selected for revitalisation were carefully chosen based on a thorough assessment of several factors, including functionality, staffing, security, accessibility and structural integrity. 

The PSHAN MD also disclosed that the first batch of PHCs to be revitalised under the partnership are located in six states including Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Jigawa, Kogi and Rivers. 

Odunayo Sanya, the executive director of MTN Foundation described the signing ceremony as “historic”, as it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the partnership between MTN Foundation and PSHAN. She noted that MTN Foundation’s partnership with PSHAN began in 2015 and has since grown into a strong and fruitful collaboration. 

“This is our fifth outing, what makes this unique is the partnership and what we are doing. We are remodeling 52 PHCs,” she said. 

Sanya explained that of the 52 PHCs that would be revitalised, 40 will be executed through MTN Foundation’s What We Can Do Together Initiative, while the remaining 12 will be executed through the Emergency Relief Clean Up project. She also noted that the PHCs will undergo extensive physical renovations, with equipment, medication, alternative power sources and key staff members also being provided. 

Sanya highlighted the importance of the partnership with PSHAN, noting that it would help to drive sustainable change in the healthcare sector. She emphasised that PSHAN’s expertise and experience in the field would be invaluable in ensuring that the PHCs are remodeled in a way that is both effective and efficient. She also stressed the importance of the project’s timeline, stating that all 52 PHCs will be delivered by June 2024.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, a PSHAN director, expressed his gratitude to MTN for its commitment to social investment and praised the telecom company for being a “flag bearer” in this regard. He emphasised the importance of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in addressing Nigeria’s healthcare challenges, noting that there are over 30,000 PHCs in the country. However, he stressed that the sustainability of these PHCs is the key issue, and that the private sector has a crucial role to play in ensuring that they are properly funded and supported.