NGF, others unveil health security scorecard

Nigeria is rolling out a Health Security Scorecard to bolster its defenses against infectious disease outbreaks. The initiative, a joint effort by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the World Bank, and Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, aims to systematically track how well each state is prepared for public health emergencies.

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At the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, we firmly believe that true health security is built from the ground up. While national frameworks provide the architecture, subnational execution and accountability are the bedrock upon which epidemic preparedness, detection and response must rest.

The scorecard was unveiled during a workshop in Abuja, where experts hailed it as a crucial tool for identifying weaknesses in state-level health security systems. Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab, Executive Director of Programme Partnership at the NGF Secretariat, explained that the scorecard establishes a unified framework for evaluating health security governance across all 36 states.

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A core driver for our gathering today is the urgent need to establish a single, standardised health security governance assessment tool, the NGF Health Security Scorecard.

"At the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, we firmly believe that true health security is built from the ground up," Abdulwahab stated. "While national frameworks provide the architecture, subnational execution and accountability are the bedrock upon which epidemic preparedness, detection and response must rest." He added that the scorecard integrates key indicators into a single assessment tool, enabling governors to monitor progress and strengthen accountability.

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By harmonising disparate metrics into one unified instrument, we can eliminate fragmentation, reduce reporting fatigue, and provide state governors and policymakers with clear, actionable insights to strengthen health security accountability across all 36 states.

Dr. Nanlop Ogburuke, Executive Director of Resolve to Save Lives Nigeria, emphasized the importance of subnational efforts. "Health security can only be effective when implemented at the subnational level," she said. "If we strengthen state capacities and empower leaders to make informed policy and investment decisions, we will be better positioned to prevent and respond to outbreaks such as cholera, Lassa fever, Ebola, and other infectious diseases."

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The scorecard helps assess each state’s level of preparedness and provides the data needed for informed decision-making on priority actions and improvements.