The Patriot Institute of Journalism and Arts (PIJA), Lance Magazine is a public-centric independent media organisation dedicated to fighting injustice, fostering social justice and community development through the telling and retelling of the marginalised-oriented stories.
Pocket Purchase: How Niger State Government Keeps N197m Meant For Maternal Health
Despite considerable government-funded projects aimed at revitalizing the health sector in Niger State, especially addressing maternal and newborn mortality, the impact on local communities has been disappointing. Beyond political posturing in the mainstream media, this report unravels the concealed realities behind some of these projects, presenting a stark and gritty portrayal of community hardships. Enoch Oyedibu reports.
In the wake of a 2019 bandit onslaught that razed some villages in Shiroro Local Government Area, Mr. Lado and over 1,000 residents find themselves in the unforgiving reality of Niger State’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. This isn’t mere displacement; it’s a wrenching uprooting, thrusting them into an unfamiliar world of shattered assurances and unfulfilled necessities. Daily meals and a peaceful night’s sleep have become elusive luxuries. They dwell in the open, entertaining harsh weather and ailments that come with it. The most vulnerable—elderly, children, and mothers—fall prey to avoidable ailments.
“Two women lost their pregnancies, and even young lives also in the camp have also been snuffed out by diarrhea,” Lado said.
Unfortunately, these tragedies unfold in the shadow of two government-funded projects specifically aimed at alleviating the state’s health woes, particularly for mothers and newborns in the state capital, Minna. In 2020, the Niger State Ministry of Health, awarded two individual projects to Nineties Ventures to renovate the Maternal and Neonatal Wing of General Hospital, Minna, and Jummai Babangida Hospital, at the rate of N98.65 million each, totaling N197 million, according to the Niger State year 2020 Procurement document.
Shockingly, despite the hefty funds allocated, both hospitals only saw the renovation plan as a dream. Jummai Babangida Hospital saw a renovation once but that was in 2016, four years before the Nineties contract was awarded and it was launched by former Governor Sani Bello. Nothing since then. Multiple staff members who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of victimization, said the hospitals have not been renovated lately.
When PIJAlance Magazine visited General Hospital in Minna last November, what stood out were the neglect, crumbling buildings, and faded paint. Despite generous allocations, the hospital has not witnessed the promised substantial repairs. Next to the maternal and neonatal wing lies another incomplete project, serving as a glaring testament to the government’s stark indifference to healthcare infrastructure.
Nurses at the hospital expressed their concerns about the staff’s overwhelming workload, underscoring that the expansive General Hospital, Minna, structure lacks essential personnel and modern facilities, painting the glaring inadequacies within the healthcare system.
“Our formerly 18 doctors dropped to 6. We’ve only six medical doctors, now with two, out of them being consultants. They’re the one in charge of attending to hundreds of pregnant women, the hospital receives daily. As you see this big structure, when it comes to personnel and modern facilities, it has nothing.”
IDPs poor access to healthcare, amidst other challenges
Minna General Hospital, founded to prioritize the health of Niger citizens, reveals a harsh contrast for the IDPs in Gwada, just 5km away. Their grim reality is defined by a distressing absence of access to the hospital and proper healthcare, showcasing a complete neglect and abandonment, particularly during off-peak times.
The IDPs not only have to fend for themselves by working as labourers on farms, but they are also housed in Gwada Central Primary School without proper security. Seeking shelter requires them to wait until after the regular school hours, adding another layer of hardship to their already challenging circumstances.
“During the school hour when some classrooms have been occupied by students, and the one specifically left for the IDPs have become filled, the rest (IDPs) will have to move outside until lessons (classes) are over,” the newly-selected IDP Camp Officer, Mr. Useni Alhassan, told PIJAlance Magazine.
Mr Alhassan also said, the IDPs don’t regularly receive government support.
“They are at the mercy of donors and charity organizations,” the newly-selected Camp officer, said. “The last support came from North South Power Company Limited (NSPCL), a Pan-African energy company focusing on electricity generation. I can remember they brought food items in October and since then no support from any quarters again.”
Moreover, to get access to proper healthcare, Mr Alhassan, said the last time some nurses in Gwada Health Centre, volunteered to help the IDPs, by running tests and check-ups, it was discovered that some women among them have inflammation of the breast and chronic diseases like hepatitis. Thereafter the nurses advised the IDPs to visit General Hospital, Minna, for proper healthcare. But this was just impossible as the IDPs could not proceed due to lack of transport fare to Minna.
Nightmares continues
In 2021, a year after Dr. Muhammad Makusidi, who served as Niger State’s health commissioner from 2019 to 2023, sanctioned the renovation of Jummai Babangida Maternal Hospital and the maternal wing of General Hospital, Minna, despair cast its shadow on health services in Minna. There was a notable absence of doctors at the general hospital and this severely hampers healthcare delivery.
A resident of Minna, Mr. Donatus, recalled how an accident victim in need of emergency services died after being rushed to the hospital due to a two-hour delay in administering first aid.
In 2022, a resident of Minna, Mr. Otue Moses, who lost his pregnant wife and the unborn child in a private hospital, said although it was painful losing his wife and the baby, he does not regret seeking medical help at a private facility instead of the General Hospital.
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“General Hospital and Jummai Babangida Hospital offer poor services compared to private hospitals in Minna. That’s why I opted for a private hospital where my wife later passed away,” Mr. Moses asserted.
“I believe her death is God’s wish. In General Hospital, Minna, medical personnel especially doctors and nurses are not always available to attend to patients, as seen in the case of my neighbour and some of my church members who had unpleasant experiences. If I ever have the opportunity to seek treatment or take someone for treatment, I will never choose Minna General Hospital and Jummai Babangida Hospital. It’s like a death wish.”
According to statistics made available to PIJAlance Magazine, the National Health Management System showed that 246 newborns and 31 mothers died in Jummai Babangida Hospital, in 2020. In 2021, these numbers increased to 303 newborns and 74 mothers. This was despite the N197m renovation contract at both the Minna General Hospital and Jummai Babangida Hospital. However, patient complaints persisted. In 2022, there was a slight decrease with 92 neonatal deaths and over 50 maternal deaths. As of time of filing this report the data for 2023 was unavailable.
This inconsistency suggests that the renovation efforts may not have been as effective as anticipated, especially considering that no substantial renovations were reportedly carried out initially. However, according to Statista, the infant mortality rate was 60.2 per cent in 2019, with a slight dip to 59.9 per cent in 2020. Even with the renovation contracts awarded in late 2020, the infant mortality rate showed no significant improvement in 2021, remaining around 59.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Key actors in the renovation contract remain evasive
Dr. Jibril Mustapha, who served as the health commissioner under former Governor, Sani Bello’s first tenure between 2016 to 2019, emphasized that one of the primary challenges contributing to maternal mortality in the state is the neglect by those in power, amongst other issues.
Speaking to PIJAlance Magazine, Dr. Mustapha stated, “One of the challenges we politicians have is that you wouldn’t want to put a lot of pressure on the people you left behind (successors in office). But I’ll be frank and candid, the place (Jummai Babangida Hospital and General Hospital, Minna) will need a lot of renovations. Because before I left, we had a facility manager who managed the place, ensuring it was clean. But with all due respect to those who came after me, challenges arose as they outsourced these duties to larger entities.”
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He continued, sharing feedback from a relative who recently underwent a cesarean section at the hospital, “My cousin’s wife had a CS in the hospital last week, and she said that the services, the building, tiles, and walls need a lot of touching up and renovations. There is also an extreme shortage of manpower. Many doctors are leaving. To be candid and straightforward, there is a bit of neglect from what we left behind.”
Interestingly, Dr. Makusidi who succeeded Dr. Mustapha as the Niger State health commissioner and awarded the contracts for the renovation of the facility was the permanent secretary at the health ministry when the latter was the commissioner. Attempts to secure an interview with Dr. Makusidi were met with hesitancy. An initial SMS requesting an interview received a polite decline: “Good day, sir. Sorry, I am not available at the moment, please. Thank you.”
Subsequent calls to his phone went unanswered. Although a follow-up SMS, asking for questions to be sent, was acknowledged, there has been no response from Dr. Makusidi as of December 8.
Efforts to contact the contractor regarding the renovation projects, including attempts to reach the CEO of Nineties Ventures, Dr. Mahmud Ajeigbe Babatunde, through email and LinkedIn messages, went unanswered.
Nineties Ventures, established in 2000, as documented by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), conspicuously lacks an online presence, including a dedicated website. Both B2bhint and NG-check, reputable platforms for company information, showed Nineties Ventures’ status as “inactive” or “unknown,” with its specific activities left unspecified, according to CAC records.
Government needs to intervene to prevent further loss of lives — VARSH Executive Director
In an exclusive interview, Ms Salvation Aworanti, the Executive Director of Voices Against Rape and Sexual Harassment (VARSH)—a nongovernmental organisation dedicated to ensuring dignified healthcare, welfare and shelter for IDPs through advocacy against exploitative labour practices, said Niger State Government needs to urgently intervene and address the maternal and neonatal health crisis in the State. It also needs to provide proper welfare for IDPs in Niger State.
“There is urgent need for increased government intervention, addressing healthcare disparities, and providing sustainable aid to prevent further loss of life among vulnerable populations in Niger State.”
Ms. Aworanti emphasized that the primary responsibility of any government is to care for marginalized and vulnerable populations, referring specifically to the Niger State IDPs. She stressed that keeping IDPs in schools should be a temporary measure, not a permanent one.
“The vulnerable people in society are the responsibility of any government. They must be adequately cared for to return them to the normal standard of life they formerly had, if it were not for disruptions beyond their control.”
Ms. Aworanti urged that IDPs should receive sufficient support to meet their basic needs and education.
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This investigation was supported by DAILY NIGERIAN/Penlight Center for New Media Innovation under its Grassroots Investigative Reporting Project, GIRP.
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