Benue SPHCB

30/05/2026

CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE
On the Occasion of His Excellency Gov. Hyacinth IORMEM’s 3rd Anniversary in Office

To His Excellency,
Governor Hyacinth IORMEM,
Executive Governor of Benue State

Your Excellency,

On behalf of the directors, management and staff of Benue State Primary Health Care Board, I join the citizens and stakeholders of our dear state, to extend warm congratulations to you on the successful completion of three years in office. This milestone is a testament to your steadfast commitment to public service, accountable governance, and the pursuit of tangible improvements in the welfare of our people.

Of particular note is your administration’s deliberate and sustained investment in the revitalization of Primary Health Care (PHC) across the state. By prioritizing functional PHC facilities, adequate staffing, and the supply of essential medicines and equipment, you have reinforced the foundation of our health system and ensured that basic healthcare is accessible at the community level.

Notable Achievements and Impact in the Health Sector:

1. Strengthened Maternal Health Services
The expansion and equipping of PHCs, coupled with the deployment of skilled birth attendants and community health extension workers, have improved access to antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care. This has reduced delays in accessing maternal health services and contributed to safer deliveries, particularly for women in underserved and rural communities.

2. Enhanced Child Health and Nutrition
Your administration’s support for routine immunization campaigns, integrated management of childhood illnesses, and nutrition supplementation programs has led to improved coverage rates and early detection of childhood illnesses. These interventions are critical to reducing under-five mortality and promoting healthy early childhood development.

3. Inclusive Care for Vulnerable Populations
Through targeted outreach and fee-waiver initiatives, access to essential health services has been extended to the elderly, persons living with disabilities, internally displaced persons, and low-income households. This inclusive approach affirms the principle that quality healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

4.System Strengthening and Accountability
The institutionalization of regular PHC monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and community engagement structures has improved service delivery, transparency, and responsiveness within the health system.

These strategic interventions demonstrate a clear policy direction: that preventing disease at the primary level reduces the burden on secondary and tertiary facilities, lowers out-of-pocket expenditure for families, and contributes directly to human capital development and economic productivity.

Your Excellency, the progress recorded in the health sector under your leadership reflects visionary leadership and a people-centered approach to governance. It is our hope that this momentum will be sustained and expanded upon in the years ahead.

We commend your dedication and wish you continued wisdom, good health, and success as you advance your administration’s agenda for a healthier, more prosperous state.

Long live His Excellency Gov. Hyacinth IORMEM,
Long live Benue State!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Signed
Pharm. Samuel Terwase Mbatsoron
Ag. ES
SPHCB

26/05/2026

BENUE RED CROSS LEADS HIGH-LEVEL ADVOCACY FOR SUSTAINABLE MALNUTRITION RESPONSE AHEAD OF PROJECT CLOSE-OUT
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‎ Nigerian Red Cross Society, Benue Branch today , 25th May 2026 hosted a high-level delegation from the Norwegian Red Cross, IFRC, and National Headquarter.
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‎The delegation included:
- Moris Monson, Country Manager , Norwegian Red Cross and his team.
- ‎Madam Gloria and Sandra, IFRC
- Ikwo Imoka, leading the NHQ Team
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‎The teams visited Benue State for a joint supervision of the ongoing Malnutrition Emergency Appeal Project and advocacy for the sustainability of the program in the state, following the close up in May.
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‎ The Branch Secretary Mr. Anthony Abah, led the team on an advocacy visit to the Ag. Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB), Pharm. Samuel T. Mbatsoron.
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‎ During the visit, the team briefed the Ag. ES on the achievements of the Malnutrition Emergency Appeal Project (MEAL), which was launched in November 2025 for Guma and Makurdi LGAs.

The project, was designed to last for six months, was supported by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and implemented by Nigerian Red Cross Society through the Benue State Branch.

The purpose of the visit was to advocate for the establishment of Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) and Stabilization Centres in the state to address the high rate of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) cases not currently covered by the project.
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The team further urged the government to support the sustainability of the project by integrating community-based volunteers in the project into the health system at the PHCs.
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Responding, Ag. ES commended the Nigerian Red Cross and partners for driving this impactful project. He pledged to share the project report and data with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to strengthen collaboration with other partners.

GRACE AKURE
INFORMATION OFFICER
BENUE STATE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE BOARD
25/05/2027

25/05/2026

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT VISIT TO SPHCB

Earlier today, SPHCB hosted a joint delegation from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for a performance assessment of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).

The delegation was led by:
- Mr. Gandu A.M., NPHCDA
- Mr. Yusuf Atoshi, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation
- Ms. Yenma S. Kalba, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation

We appreciate the team’s engagement and commitment to strengthening accountability and service delivery in primary health care.

22/05/2026

BENUE HEALTH STAKEHOLDERS REVIEW iCCM IMPLEMENTATION, CHART PATH FOR STRONGER CHILD HEALTH DELIVERY

The Benue State Primary Health Care Board (BNSPHCB), in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health (SMOH) and PATH through the REACH Malaria Project, convened a stakeholders’ meeting to review findings from recent monitoring activities for Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) implementation in Benue State.

The meeting, held on Thursday, 21st May 2026, at the BNSPHCB Conference Hall in Makurdi, brought together representatives from iCCM implementing partners, including the SMOH, BNSPHCB, and academia. The activity was funded and supported by PATH.

The iCCM programme remains a critical strategy for improving access to prompt diagnosis and treatment of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea among children under five years, particularly in hard-to-reach and underserved communities across the state.

Recent implementation monitoring across the supported Local Government Areas of Obi, Konshisha, Kwande, and Okpokwu generated important findings on service delivery, commodity availability, reporting performance, and operational challenges. These findings required stakeholder review and collective action to strengthen the programme.

The meeting featured the presentation of key findings from supportive supervision and a review of findings from community-level Data Validation Meetings (DVM) by Mr. Liambee Abanyi, SMEP M&E Officer. Participants examined implementation progress, challenges, and lessons learned across the four supported LGAs during a plenary discussion.

Mr. Abanyi further highlighted mitigating actions to identified gaps affecting service delivery included commodity stock-outs and reporting challenges. Stakeholders agreed on actionable recommendations to strengthen iCCM implementation in the state and shared lessons learned and best practices.

Dr. Matthew Ocheifa sharing his experience on best practices, emphasized that supervisors should exercise patience, remain calm, and treat corps members as humans with needs to achieve optimal results.

Delivering his opening remarks, Dr. Wasem Akor, Malaria Focal Person standing in for the Executive Secretary, reiterated that participants play a critical role in strengthening child health service delivery in Benue State. He wished them a fruitful engagement and called for continued collaboration to improve the quality and sustainability of iCCM implementation.

The meeting aimed to review key findings from recent iCCM monitoring, supportive supervision, and Data Validation Meetings to inform the next phase of programme delivery.

Grace Akure
Information Officer
Benue State Primary Health Care Board
21/05/2026

20/05/2026

Mal. Ahmed Sadauna, Representative of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, and Dr. Mrs. Gire, Representative of the Christian Faith, who attended the national launch of the revised Faith for Life policy document.

Following the launch, they met with Dr. Philip Toryue, State Health Educator, for the state review meeting at BNSPHCB on demand generation for the uptake of PHC services.

The Revised Policy Document is designed for Christian and Muslim religious leaders to create demand (demand generation) for the uptake of primary health care (PHCs) service in Nigeria.

This activity was generously funded and supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Mr. Victor Olaniyi SBC Consultant UNICEF and his counterpart Michael Luka of JSI also featured in the discussion.

GRACE AKURE
INFORMATION OFFICER
BENUE STATE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE BOARD
18/05/2026

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

BENUE STATE PHCB TRAINS TECHNICAL FACILITATORS AND SUPERVISORS AHEAD OF MAY/JUNE 2026 MNCHW CAMPAIGN

The Benue State Primary Health Care Board (BNSPHCB) has commenced the training of State Technical Facilitators (STFs) and Supervisors in preparation for the first round of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW) scheduled for May/June 2026.

The one-day intensive training was held on Saturday, 16th May 2026, at Eyah Hotel & Suites, Makurdi. Participants included officials from the Benue State Ministry of Health, BNSPHCB, and partner organizations. The STF/Supervisor training is designed to be stepped down at the Local Government Area level to ensure effective implementation across the state.

The training covered critical components of the upcoming MNCHW campaign to equip facilitators and supervisors with the knowledge and skills needed for coordination, monitoring, and reporting. Key highlights included:

1. Objectives and Expected Outcomes: Presented by the State Nutrition Officer, Dr. Mrs. Faustina Shar, who outlined the targets for maternal and child health interventions during the campaign week.
2. Concepts of MNCHW: A session on the structure, scope, and integrated service delivery model of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week.
3. Data Management and Reporting: Led by Mrs. Ruth Asor, State Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, focusing on accurate data capture, validation, and timely reporting mechanisms to track campaign performance.
4. Integration of MNCHW and HPV Vaccination: Presented by Innocent Adega, State Immunization Officer, emphasizing the importance of leveraging MNCHW platforms to improve Human Papillomavirus vaccine coverage among eligible adolescents.

In his welcome address, Mr. Joseph Ude, Director of Community Health Services, welcomed all trainees and encouraged them to engage actively to ensure an impactful training session that translates into effective field operations.

Delivering the closing remarks, Dr. Austin Adanu, Director of Disease Control & Immunization, urged participants to carry out their duties diligently during the campaign. He stressed that meeting the set targets for MNCHW 2026 depends on strong supervision, community mobilization, and accountability at all levels.

The STF/Supervisors training was organized by the Benue State Primary Health Care Board with technical and financial support from Helen Keller International. The organization has been a long-standing partner in supporting nutrition and child health programming in Benue State.

Following this state-level training, the facilitators and supervisors are expected to cascade the training to LGA health teams and frontline workers in the coming weeks. The MNCHW campaign typically provides an integrated package of services including vitamin A supplementation, deworming, immunization catch-up, nutrition screening, antenatal care services, and health education.

The first round of MNCHW 2026 is part of Benue State’s broader strategy to reduce maternal and under-five mortality and improve access to essential primary health care services across rural and hard-to-reach communities.



GRACE AKURE
INFORMATION OFFICER
BENUE STATE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE BOARD
17/05/2026

16/05/2026

Yesterday at the State Level Training in preparation for the first round of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) 2026. The training which took place at Eyah Hotel in Makurdi was organized by Benue State Primary Health Care Board in collaboration with Helen Keller International.

15/05/2026

GOODWILL MESSAGE ON THE 60TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY OF H.E. REV. FR. DR. HYACINTH IORMEM ALIA, EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF BENUE STATE

I, Pharm. Samuel Terwase Mbatsoron, on behalf of the management and staff of Benue State Primary Health Care Board, heartily rejoice with H.E. Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia on his diamond jubilee anniversary.

On this momentous occasion of your 60th birthday, we celebrate not just the grace of six decades of life, but a life poured out in service, faith, and transformative leadership for the people of Benue State.

Your Excellency, reaching the diamond age of 60 is a testament to God’s faithfulness and a call to reflect on the indelible marks you have made on our state. Under your stewardship, Benue has witnessed renewed hope, especially in the area that touches every family at its most vulnerable point: health.

Your deliberate prioritization of primary healthcare stands out as one of the most impactful legacies of your administration. By creating an enabling environment for development partners, you have unlocked critical funding for life-saving interventions that directly protect mothers and children at the grassroots. Your commitment to the prompt payment of counterpart funds has demonstrated that governance works best when promises are matched with action, ensuring that no Benue child is denied immunization, no mother is denied skilled birth attendance, and no community is left behind due to funding delays.

This is leadership that understands that development begins at the grass root. Strengthening primary healthcare centers, equipping frontline workers, and ensuring that services reach rural communities have translated into real outcomes: healthier mothers, safer deliveries, and children with a better chance at life. That is the kind of governance that changes statistics into stories of survival and hope.

Beyond policy, your background as a shepherd gives your leadership a unique human face. You govern with empathy, and it shows in the way health, education, and human capital development have become central pillars of your administration. At 60, you embody the blend of wisdom, spiritual depth, and practical action that Benue needs at this time.

As you mark this milestone, we pray for continued strength, divine wisdom, and good health for you. May the Almighty grant you more years to complete the good work you have started, and may your tenure continue to be defined by policies that put the vulnerable, under-served communities and the ordinary Benue citizen first.

Congratulations! Happy 60th Birthday, Your Excellency!
Benue is proud of you, and the legacy you are building in healthcare will speak for generations to come.

Signed
Pharm. Samuel Terwase Mbatsoron
Ag. Executive Secretary
Benue State Primary Health Care Board.