UK, WHO Donate £3.8m Equipment To Boost Health Training In C’River
The United Kingdom Government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday delivered £3.8 million worth of equipment and infrastructure upgrades to health training institutions in Cross River State.
The initiative, part of the Equipment Support for Health Training Institutions (ESHTI) programme, aims to enhance the quality of nursing and midwifery education while strengthening Nigeria’s health workforce.
The UK Government and WHO handed over the equipment and buses during the 66th meeting of the National Council on Health in Calabar, Cross River State, themed, “My health, my right: Accelerating universal health coverage through equity, resilience, and innovation.”
The National Council on Health, a high-level governance body responsible for formulating and coordinating health policies nationwide, brings together federal and state health leaders to assess progress and set strategic directions for the sector.
The handover included three buses to facilitate student and staff mobility; information technology equipment and smart boards to support e-learning and interactive instruction; medical and laboratory equipment, including mannequins, diagnostic tools, and laboratory supplies for hands-on clinical training; and facility infrastructure such as generators, air conditioners, and refrigerators to improve learning environments.
The resources will benefit three health training institutions in Cross River State, directly impacting over 900 students and faculty members. The upgrades are expected to improve training outcomes, increase graduation rates, and better prepare healthcare professionals for service delivery.
In his goodwill message, WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, said the handover reflects the shared commitment of the organization, the Federal Government, Cross River State, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to strengthen health systems through strategic investments in health workers.
“Through the ESHTI Project, the UK Government is improving training capacity to produce quality health workers for universal health coverage. The project provides generators, school buses, demonstration room equipment, furniture, computers, printers, solar-powered inverters, and other items required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria. This complements Cross River state’s investments under His Excellency’s leadership.
“Despite progress, challenges remain, particularly shortages of skilled nurses and midwives in rural areas. We commend your administration for upgrading infrastructure in the Colleges of Nursing Sciences in Calabar, Obudu, and Ogoja, and urge further investment in recruiting tutors and health workers, and completing ongoing projects to make Cross River a major training hub,” Ursu said.
Ursu noted that WHO will continue supporting Cross River State through technical assistance, catalytic funding, quality-of-care monitoring, polio eradication, primary healthcare revitalization, and Universal Health Coverage efforts.
Juliet Whitley, Head of Health at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, said strong training institutions will improve the educational experiences of nurses, midwives, and other medical professionals across the country.
“I am delighted to be here in Calabar to mark the handover of equipment to training institutions in Cross River State,” Whitley said. “The UK has been proud to support WHO with £3.8 million to enable this initiative through our ESHTI programme. ESHTI is expanding capacity in health training institutions in six states, including Cross River, by providing training equipment and infrastructure support that can help these colleges attain full accreditation.”
She added that the National Health Sector Renewal Initiative and the Sector Wide Approach provide donor partners like the UK with a framework for their support.
Jill Fletcher, Head of Human Development and Demography at the British High Commission, said, “We are proud of the results achieved through the ESHTI programme to build health workforce capacity. It is the UK’s pleasure to hand over a range of equipment and training materials to Cross River State to continue efforts to produce a skilled and motivated health workforce.”
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, represented by his Deputy, Peter Odey, highlighted that the establishment of four Colleges of Nursing demonstrates the state’s commitment to developing a skilled and resilient health workforce for sustainable community healthcare.
“These institutions are not just educational centres; they are pillars of sustainable development that will empower a new generation of healthcare professionals to serve our communities with excellence,” Otu said.