FG commissions expanded emergency health centre in Katsina

The Federal Government, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, has commissioned an expanded Emergency Operations Centre in Katsina State.

The upgraded facility, unveiled on Friday, is designed to strengthen polio eradication efforts, improve immunisation coordination, enhance disease surveillance, and boost public health emergency response across the state.

The project was delivered with support from the NPHCDA, the Gates Foundation, and eHealth Africa. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Shamsudeen Yahaya, explained that the centre was initially established as a Polio Emergency Coordination Centre but has now been expanded to handle broader public health emergencies.

According to Yahaya, the facility is part of projects being showcased to mark the third anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He noted that the centre would play a critical role in coordinating emergency health interventions and disease surveillance activities in the state.

The upgraded facility is equipped with modern communication and operational tools to ensure prompt response during health emergencies. Yahaya added that the centre can accommodate up to 100 people and has uninterrupted electricity supply, internet connectivity, and a conducive working environment for health experts, development partners, and emergency response teams.

He stated that the expansion became necessary due to the growing need for a more comprehensive approach to managing public health emergencies beyond polio response. The centre will serve as a central hub where health officials and partners can assess situations, deliberate on challenges, and take timely decisions during outbreaks.

Yahaya further noted that the expanded centre would help monitor real‑time data from every ward, deploy teams faster to hard‑to‑reach areas, and respond more quickly to circulating vaccine‑derived poliovirus. He commended the NPHCDA and development partners for their contributions to Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts, while also applauding the Katsina State Government for investing in healthcare infrastructure.

Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus by the World Health Organisation in 2020, but health authorities continue to battle circulating vaccine‑derived poliovirus and other disease outbreaks. The new facility is expected to significantly improve coordination and strengthen rapid response mechanisms in the state.