Table 1 Mapped advocacy events at the national and Anambra State (2015–2017)
S/N | Event and Purpose | Who led the event | Date and venue | Key context and mechanisms | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | March by market women and communities in northern Nigeria against the stoppage of SURE-P | Community leaders | 11/2015 at (FMoH) Abuja | Police stopped the protesters several times, but the influential community leaders who the police could not arrest/detain led the march | The Minister set up a committee to revitalise the MSS programme that contained activities similar to SURE-P |
2. | The 9th International Congress, 49th Annual General Meeting And 50th Anniversary Celebration Of Society Of Gynaecology And Obstetrics Of Nigeria (SOGON) | SOGON | 24–27/11/ 2015. Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Abuja | Theme: Promoting Women’s Health in Nigeria. Multi-stakeholder participation by Health Professionals, Politicians, Policymakers including the Minister, Lawyers, Civil Society, Development partners, Pharmaceutical and Allied companies and Mass Media | Awards to Policy elites and maternal health advocates |
3. | Inaugural summit on accountability for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) | FMoH in collaboration with Champions for Change, the Health Reform Foundation (HERFON) of Nigeria, and Women Friendly Initiative | 16–18/2/2016 Abuja, Nigeria. | Engagement of multiple stakeholders in health to discuss the status of RMNCAH in Nigeria and need to strengthen it | The signing of a declaration by participating organizations calling for action by the Government to address maternal and neonatal deaths and declaring them a priority. A task force was set up by FMoH to ensure maternal mortality reduction with a target to increase funding for family planning services from US $3million to US $4million, from 2018. |
4. | Advocacy to media to report issues surrounding Health budget and finance in media space | HERFON | 3/ 2017, Lagos | Symposium for Health writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN). Media’s power in ensuring accountability and good governance and interaction between an advocacy group and the media | HEWAN sensitized and mobilized on accountability for health funds. More reports in the media on accountability for health |
5. | Press conference by a group of NGOs on the shortfall in the budgetary allocation to the health sector | the National Association of Community Health Practitioners, Development Research and Project Center and the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family at Scale | 11/2017 at Abuja Nigeria. | A collaboration of 3 NGOs stressing for media support to holding government accountable for adequate funding of the health sector and full implementation of key policies that will enhance child and family health in Nigeria. | Awareness creation on the budget short-fall precipitating the appropriation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in the 2018 national budget |
6. | A symposium on the role of media in advocating for increased health sector budget in Nigeria. | Health Writer’s Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) | 4/2017 Lagos State. | Organized by the media and an address delivered by Health Reform Foundation (HERFON) on the need to appropriate the BHCPF in the budget to improve funding of PHC and MCH | The media promised more commitment to reporting MCH issues. This precipitated the appropriation of the BHCPF in the 2018 national budget |
7. | Meeting of governors’ wives for the support of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn Child, Adolescent Health + Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services | The wife of the Nigerian president | 11/2016 in Abuja, | The wife of the president, as well as the minister for health, addressed the governors’ wife forum on the need to support (RMNCAH+N) services in their various states | Developmental partners, the private sector, and the government enjoined to provide support to the activities governors’ wives coalition. This made the state governors prioritize RMNCAH+N |
8. | 4th National family planning conference | Nigerian minister for health | 7–9/11/2016 Abuja | Theme: Family Planning in Nigeria: The Journey so far, hosted by the United Nations. Health Minister encouraged Nigerians to engage in family planning stressing that neither Christianity nor Islam disallowed it. | The masses got enlightened on family planning. The FMoH and development partners got committed to Family planning issues with a promise to release more funds. |
9. | Workshop on Saving One Million Lives Program For Results (SOML PforR) and CSO Roundtable conference | Connected Development - CODE (an NGO) | 13/4/ 2017 Abuja | Recognition of the need for CSOs to be carried along in the implementation processes of (SOML PforR) and the need for accountability. Attendance by FMoH, the World Bank, and CSOs enhanced the workshop | Engender trust and the values of Open Government in the Nigerian society. Reinforced the need for accountability of the funds released to states in 2016 and results |
10. | Aisha Buhari urges Governors’ Wives to champion reproductive issues | The wife of the Nigerian President | 10/10/ 2017. Abuja. | A need to reduce maternal mortality, child malnutrition and child mortality in under-five children. Participation of the Federal Ministry of Health, UNICEF, wives of the 36 state Governors and National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Development partners | The Minister for Health pledged the Government’s support for the program on reproductive health. The Governor’s wives committed to partner with the wife of the President in implementing programmes to reduce maternal and child mortality in their respective states. This precipitated the appropriation of the BHCPF in the 2018 National Budget and release of the Saving One Million Lives funds to States |
11. | Public, private sector and CSO engagement to achieve SDG targets for reproductive, maternal, child health | Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, (PHN) and Nigerian Integrated Coalition for Improving RMNCAH (NICIR) | 19/12/2017 Abuja | Identification of opportunities for synergies/collaboration between public and private health sector players. Coming together of many organizations including the United Nations’ Every Woman Every Child initiative; Merck for Mothers; Nigeria Global Financing Facility (GFF) and presentation of diverse, but unique perspectives for improving RMNCAH service delivery | This facilitated the release of GFF funds for RMNCAH |
12. | The National Summit on RMNCAH to address accountability in healthcare delivery for women, newborns, and other vulnerable groups | Champions for Change, HERFON and Women Friendly Initiative | 16–18/2/ 2016 Abuja | Discussion on the new 2030 SDGs, and examination of how effective ongoing efforts are in delivering interventions to women and children in Nigeria. Collaboration between many strong CSOs, FMoH, WHO, and UNICEF enhanced the summit. | Alliances across the public and private sector media, and religious institutions for the prioritization of MCH |
13. | Tour of primary health centres by the wife of the Anambra State Governor | Wife of the Anambra State Governor | 11/2016. Anambra State, Nigeria | Promotion of health and safe delivery practices for pregnant women and the tour had the support of the State government and Chairmen of the Local Government Areas. | Distribution of maternal delivery kits (MAMA KIT) to pregnant women present. Facilitation of the passage of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency bill and the release of counterpart funds for the Basic Health Care provision Fund in Anambra state in 2018 for the provision of basic minimum health package. |
14. | Mothers’ Summit on getting priorities right for a peaceful home and society. | An NGO, “Caring Family Enhancement Initiative, CAFÉ, for self-reliant”. | 10/9/2017 Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka Anambra State. | The need to be meaningfully engaged and earn an income to support the upkeep of the family including health bills and child nutrition. Support by the wife of the Governor, Governor of Anambra state and presence of mothers from the 179 communities of the state ensured the success of the event | Presentation of empowerment equipment like Garri and Palm Oil processing machines to women cooperative societies by the Governor |