PEECH Programme to Train 44,000 Community Health Workers, Strengthen Primary Healthcare
The Programme for Equitable Expansion of Community Based Health Workers, PEECH, is set to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system through the training and upskilling of 44,000 Community Health Workers across 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
PEECH Project Director, Dr Anddy Omoluabi, disclosed this during a presentation to the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, in Awka. He explained that the programme, scheduled to run from February 2026 to July 2028, will focus on improving the skills of Community Health Workers while strengthening the institutions that support them through training, supervision, mentoring, improved data management, monitoring and stronger governance.
Dr Omoluabi said the initiative is part of a broader plan to create 600,000 paid Community Health Worker jobs for Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35, expand access to primary healthcare for 50 million people, achieve a 90 percent worker retention rate and provide career advancement opportunities for health workers. He added that the programme will give priority to young people, women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
According to him, the programme has already completed its first phase, which included baseline assessments, profiling of Community Health Workers, stakeholder engagements, data collection and the establishment of coordination structures. The next phase, he noted, will support states in recruiting, training and equipping Community Health Workers while strengthening State Schools of Health Technology and Local Government Health Authorities.
Responding, the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the commitment of the Soludo administration to partnering with PEECH to improve primary healthcare delivery across the state. He emphasized the importance of digitizing Anambra’s primary healthcare system to enhance health data management, improve service delivery and promote evidence based decision making.
Dr Obidike assured the PEECH team of the state’s readiness to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the programme, while noting that future commitments would be guided by available evidence, stakeholder consultations and the priority health needs of Anambra State.
