From Ifeoma Ejiofor
Ahead of the 2027 Anambra State fiscal proposal, SPARK II Project Partners have advocated increased and equitable funding for maternal health and primary healthcare (PHC).
The SPARK II Project Partners in Anambra State comprise Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC), Nnewi; Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC); Community Empowerment Network (COMEN); and Civil Rights Concern (CRC).
The partners made the proposal during an advocacy engagement with the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Chukwukadibia Okoye.
The visit aimed to leverage evidence from budget analysis and community-level service monitoring to influence the 2027 budget formulation process and improve maternal health outcomes.
Specifically, the SPARK II Partners advocated increased allocations for maternal health and PHC service delivery, as well as the creation of at least three distinct and identifiable maternal-health-focused budget lines.
They also called for strengthened results-based accountability and increased citizen participation in budget implementation.
The group said the issues raised during the engagement align with the SPARK II Project’s focus on promoting open, participatory, and accountable budgeting.
In his response, the Anambra State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Chukwukadibia Okoye, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Zero-Based Budgeting and citizen-friendly budgeting processes.
He noted that budgets must be needs-based, properly justified, and easy for citizens to understand and monitor.
Mr. Okoye assured the partners that Anambra State had maintained its counterpart funding obligations and would continue to honour its formal commitments. He added that new investments and the recruitment of healthcare workers were expected in the 2027 fiscal year.
The Commissioner, however, pointed out that Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) fall constitutionally under the responsibility of Local Governments, noting that the dysfunctional local government system had undermined effective service delivery.