The Federal Government, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, on Friday commissioned an expanded Emergency Operations Centre in Katsina State.
The initiative is said to aim at strengthening polio eradication efforts, immunisation coordination, disease surveillance and public health emergency response.
The upgraded facility, delivered with support from the NPHCDA, the Gates Foundation and eHealth Africa, is expected to enhance Katsina State’s capacity in primary healthcare delivery and emergency preparedness.
Commissioning the facility at the Katsina State Emergency Operations Centre, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Shamsudeen Yahaya, said the project was designed to improve coordination and response to public health emergencies across the state.
According to Yahaya, the facility, which was initially established as a Polio Emergency Coordination Centre, has now been expanded to accommodate broader public health emergency operations.
“The newly expanded Emergency Operations Centre is aimed at strengthening coordination and response to public health emergencies across the state,” he said.
Yahaya explained that the centre forms part of projects being showcased during the third anniversary celebrations of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, noting that it would play a critical role in coordinating emergency health interventions and disease surveillance activities in the state.
He stated that the upgraded facility is equipped with modern communication and operational tools to ensure prompt response during health emergencies.
“This is a coordination centre for polio emergency response, but we have expanded it to cover other public health emergencies. The facility is well furnished and can accommodate up to 100 people,” he added.
The Executive Secretary further disclosed that the centre has uninterrupted electricity supply, internet connectivity, and a conducive working environment designed to support health experts, development partners, and emergency response teams.
According to him, the facility would serve as a central hub where health officials and development partners can assess situations, deliberate on challenges, and take timely decisions during outbreaks and other emergencies.
Yahaya noted that the expansion became necessary due to the growing need for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to managing public health emergencies beyond polio response.
“This expanded Polio Emergency Operations Centre is a critical step in protecting every child in Katsina and Nigeria.
“For years, this EOC has coordinated house-to-house campaigns, tracked every case, and ensured that no child is missed. This expansion gives us more space, better data systems, and stronger coordination.
“We can now monitor real-time data from every ward, deploy teams faster to hard-to-reach areas, and respond to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) with greater speed and precision,” he stated.
He commended the NPHCDA and development partners for their contributions to Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts.
He stated, “To NPHCDA and our development partners, thank you for the sacrifices that took Nigeria from thousands of cases to zero wild poliovirus.
“Our work is not done until every child is protected. May this centre guide us towards a polio-free Nigeria and a healthier Katsina.”
He also applauded the Katsina State Government for investing in healthcare infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for effective emergency preparedness and response.
He expressed confidence that the facility would significantly improve coordination, strengthen rapid response mechanisms, and enhance the state’s ability to tackle public health challenges effectively.
Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus by the World Health Organisation in 2020 after years of intensive immunisation campaigns and surveillance efforts.
However, health authorities have continued to battle circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus and other disease outbreaks, prompting increased investments in emergency response infrastructure and routine immunisation systems across states.
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