President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Sector-wide Coordinating Office-Programme Management Unit (SCO-PMU), which will be housed in the Office of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
In a statement released on Friday by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, it was announced that the unit is tasked with ensuring efficient, transparent, and accountable management of external grants for the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Ngelale stated that the SCO-PMU would report to a steering committee/ministerial oversight committee chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. This committee will include the Minister of State, the Permanent Secretary, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and relevant development partners.
“The SCO-PMU will serve as the secretariat and delivery unit for the NHSRII and will be headed by a National Coordinator (NC),” Ngelale said. “Its functions will include programme management, monitoring and evaluation, engagement and supervision of Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) for NHSRII programmes, and fiduciary management, among others.”
Consequently, President Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Muntaqa Umar Sadiq as the National Coordinator of the SCO-PMU. Dr. Sadiq brings over 17 years of experience in public health, impact investing, investment banking, energy, and climate financing across various sectors.
Dr. Sadiq has previously served as the head of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and as the Chief Executive Officer of the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria. He has also worked as the head of the Nigeria Energy Transition Office and as a Private Sector Engagement Adviser at the World Bank.
