FOMWAN, Benue Govt Explore Partnership to Improve Healthcare

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Benue State Chapter, has called for stronger collaboration with the state government to improve healthcare delivery, empower women and promote community development.

The call was made during an advocacy visit by a delegation of the association, led by its North Central Zonal Coordinator, Hajia Afusat Afolabi, and the Benue State Amira, Hajia Jamila Iliyasu, to the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, at the ministry’s headquarters in Makurdi.

Speaking during the visit, the State Amira said the engagement was aimed at formally introducing the association’s leadership, showcasing its contributions to society and identifying areas of collaboration with the ministry.

She highlighted FOMWAN’s interventions in education, humanitarian services, social welfare, women’s empowerment and community development, while commending Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration for its commitment to building a Greater Benue.

The association expressed its readiness to support the governor’s development agenda through grassroots mobilisation and community-based initiatives.

They also appealed for inclusion in relevant ministry programmes, noting that its extensive community networks could help promote health awareness, preventive healthcare and access to essential services, particularly for women, children and other vulnerable groups.

Responding, the commissioner, Dr. Ogwuche, who received the delegation alongside the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Cephas Hough, and other senior officials, described the visit as an honour and commended FOMWAN for its contributions to health and education advocacy, humanitarian services and community development.

He said the state government’s efforts to improve the wellbeing of residents required effective partnerships with credible civil society and faith-based organisations capable of bridging the gap between government policies and communities.

According to him, such partnerships would help translate the governor’s vision for a Greater Benue into tangible benefits for citizens across the state.

Ogwuche expressed the ministry’s willingness to explore practical areas of collaboration with FOMWAN, particularly in health promotion, maternal and child healthcare, community mobilisation and support for vulnerable persons, in line with the ministry’s priorities and available programme frameworks.

He emphasised that meaningful community participation was essential to achieving sustainable health outcomes, noting that government investments and interventions would have greater impact when residents were adequately informed, engaged and encouraged to take ownership of public health initiatives.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Hough, commended FOMWAN for engaging the ministry in pursuit of shared development goals.

He stressed the need for sustained coordination to ensure that advocacy efforts translated into practical interventions and measurable benefits for the people.

Hough urged the association to maintain engagement with relevant departments of the ministry to ensure that the proposed partnership translated into concrete actions that would improve the welfare of women, children and the wider society.