The re-appointment of the renowned physician with global strides, Dr Faisal Shuaib for another term of four years, which coincided with the period when the world was undergoing the challenge of gobal pandemic of COVID-19, both in first and second wave, aftermath of the world lockdown is a monumental one.
Though, it did not come as mere reward, but out of in-depth knowledge and impactful assignments carried out in the last four years at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA, with distinct perfomance.
Because, the new development was not borne out of mere rituals of government at the corridor of power, it is worthy of note that the giant strides embarked by the Executive Director/Chief Executive, Dr Faisal Shuaib in the last four years had improved to the high pedestal, the primary, secondary, counterparts and collaborative effforts of the new leadership in the agency, that drove the basic policies and programmes and improved as well as sustained the provision of primary and secondary health care services in Nigeria.
Undaunted by the entrant of the global pandemic of COVID-19, after a well thoughtout achievements that covered almost the better part of his first tenure.
With his exposure, knowledge and experience, he was able to navigate professionally and imbibed the spirit of a tested and trusted public servant, that resulted in the quick response action that had brought the scourge under control in Nigeria.
In the last four years, Dr Faisal Shuaib had deployed his wealth of experience through a well rejigged and articulated schedule of programmes that included immunization, innoculation through basic primary/secondary health care services across the country, as well as mitigated th efforts of 36 states of the federation, including FCT that led to more promising strides towards stabilising the health status of an average Nigerian child, to extricate them of all existing diseases and any unforeseen health challenges bedevilling the primary health sector of the country.
His well thought out programs and execution had placed Nigeria on the global map,and excised it from critical children related diseases ranging from polio, malnutrition and other globally recognised ailements prevalent in the third world countries, regarded as developing and underdeveloped countries which Nigeria is not an exception.
Faisal’s stint was an endorsement of best practices, through the religious commitment to the time table and schedule of immunisation in line with the lay down procedures, re-engineered at his inception with series of improvement, initiatives and innovations that had relived the confidence of the citizenry in government to providing health care services.
This is also in view of his collaborative and counterparts efforts both locally and internationally, that had tremendously tripled the efforts of the agency into improving the health of Nigeria child.
His strides in bringing to the barest minimum the effects and casualties of COVID-19 global pandemic stands out among the programmes of developement, adminstering of vaccines among the comity of nations.
The general acceptance and adminstration of COVID-19 vaccine with AstraZeneca vaccine and stable conditions of many Nigerians innoculated, has doused the initial gimmicks and cynicisms of the unverified side effects of the world recognised drugs.
This was with the assurance of the Faisal’s led NPHCDA with the conviction of Nigerian leadership at all levels that encouraged a high number of 500,000 into taken the jab,with a target of over 19 million Nigerians on the row of adminstering the drugs.
As at the last count,the President and Vice- President, State Governors of the 36 states including the dissident Kogi, that has already indicated interests.The confidence reposed by other top public servants and government officials including the front line workers in the health sector, had reawakened many Nigerians interest in the new vaccine.
Faisal’s NPHCDA ensured that all loopholes were closed to avoid sharp practices in conjunction with other relevant agencies in the health and essential sectors.
This was on the premise of well rehearsed rumour making round of plans to import fake and adulterated AstraZeneca vaccine to Nigeria, with his alarm to relevant securtiy agencies at our border post, ports and airports to discourage any unpatriotic moves.
The management of the vaccine through a well organised online registration, had nipped in the bud any unforeseen moves that would have truncated the laudable objectives of government, through the monitoring agency, NPHCDA.
With his actions and practices in the NPHCDA, there is no doubt that the problems of primary health care services and the global pandemic of COVID-19 and other unforseen ailment will become a thing of the past in Nigeria.
This will be enabled through the dedicated, patriotic and selfless zeal to achieve results by Dr Faisal Shaibu’s led NPHCDA in Nigeria.
