By Kingsley Agim
The Cross River State Government has deepened its commitment to health sector reform and system strengthening with the successful conclusion of a five-day technical workshop on the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) 2026 Annual Operational Plan (AOP).
The workshop, jointly organized by the State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), ran from Monday to Friday at Gomays Plaza Hotel, Calabar. It provided a platform for government agencies, development partners, and healthcare professionals to chart a unified course toward delivering people-centered, evidence-driven, and sustainable healthcare in the state.
Declaring the workshop open, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, described the forum as a bold step by the Governor Bassey Otu-led administration to consolidate ongoing reforms. He noted that the Annual Operational Plan remains a critical instrument for achieving measurable health outcomes and urged stakeholders to embrace a shared vision of building a resilient system capable of providing quality and accessible care to all.
READ ALSO: Cross River Begins Overhaul of Fire Service Infrastructure, Promises Statewide Restoration
In her goodwill message, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr. Vivian Mesembe Otu, emphasized that the SWAp framework creates an opportunity to align state priorities with partner support, eliminate duplication, and maximize efficiency. She reaffirmed her agency’s readiness to translate the plan into practical results at the grassroots level, where primary healthcare serves as the bedrock of the state’s health delivery system.
Also speaking, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics (DHPRS), Mr. Chris Ushuasung, described the exercise as a milestone in the state’s journey toward a coordinated and accountable health sector. According to him, the SWAp 2026 plan goes beyond routine planning, representing a deliberate process to consolidate previous gains, address persistent gaps, mobilize resources effectively, and ensure transparency across the board.
He explained that the plan harmonizes all interventions under a single strategic framework aligned with the State Health Strategic Development Plan, national priorities, and the state government’s “People-First” agenda. The process, he added, promotes evidence-based and results-oriented planning, improves data use, enhances accountability, and prioritizes interventions that reduce health inequities, particularly at the primary care level.
The five-day workshop featured technical sessions on critical themes such as Sector-Wide Approach in Nigeria: The Journey So Far; Operationalizing the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint (HSSB) 2023–2027; the HSSB MEARL Plan; Roadmap to 2026 AOP; Health Facility Plans and Budgets; and hands-on training on the use of web-based tools for planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Participants also engaged in practical sessions on uploading SMART activities, granting administrative privileges, and harmonizing facility-level plans.
The sessions were facilitated by seasoned experts including Mr. Casmir Ugbong, retired Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, and his successor, Mr. Ushuasung. Their guidance ensured that participants gained both strategic insight and practical skills needed for more effective health planning.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Ushuasung expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for Health, the DG of CRSPHCDA, the Permanent Secretary, Directors, Program Managers, and M&E officers for their commitment to the process. He also commended UNFPA and WHO for their technical and financial support, stressing that their collaboration continues to play a pivotal role in advancing innovations and building resilience in the state’s health system.
Participants described the workshop as both timely and transformative, noting that the knowledge gained would improve their capacity to deliver more efficient, coordinated, and equitable healthcare services.
