The Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, on Monday commenced a three-day 2026 Health Sector Joint Annual Review meeting in Makurdi. The workshop, scheduled from August 10 to 12 at Smile View Hotel, carries the theme “From Data to Delivery: Closing the Gaps, Saving Lives in Benue State.”
The annual review is designed to evaluate the achievements and challenges of planned and implemented health programmes in the state, identify gaps, and agree on strategies to strengthen service delivery, partnerships and accountability across the sector.
Declaring the meeting open, the Honourable Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche Ejeh, welcomed participants and stakeholders to Makurdi. He described the Joint Annual Review as “not ceremonial but serious business” that will determine how health interventions are delivered to citizens in 2027. Dr. Ogwuche charged all programme officers to present their data honestly and transparently, stating that the purpose of the review is to look critically at what was planned, what was delivered and where shortfalls occurred so that deliberate steps can be taken to deliver gains to the people of Benue.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Gabriel Ikechukwu expressed delight at the assignment and commended the state for convening the review. He noted that joint reviews are critical to aligning federal and state health priorities.
In a goodwill message, the WHO State Coordinator, Dr. Mohammed Abdulkarim, urged programme managers to treat the exercise with utmost seriousness. He advised participants to take recommendations seriously, effect necessary corrections and track implementation in order to achieve maximum results and move closer to universal health coverage.
The meeting has drawn high-level delegations including development partners, directors and programme officers from key health agencies such as the State Ministry of Health, Hospital Management Board, State Primary Health Care Board, Benue State Agency for the Control of AIDS and the Benue State Health Insurance Agency. Over the three days, participants are expected to review performance data for 2026, assess bottlenecks in service delivery, strengthen coordination among partners and finalise priority actions for the 2027 health sector plan.
The Joint Annual Review forms part of ongoing efforts by Benue State to build a more resilient health system, improve the use of data for decision-making and ensure that resources translate directly into better health outcomes for residents.
