Nigeria – the most populous country in Africa – has some of the worst basic health indicators, including one of the lowest levels of family planning use in the world. One out of every five children in Nigeria dies before reaching their fifth birthday. However, a long period of relative political stability including the country's first ever civilian transfer of power in 2003 has allowed the government to reenergize the entire health sector. Over 200 new health centers have been constructed in the past four years; another 200 are to be built during the next four years. A basic package of minimum health services and a national service statistics project have been established at those health centers, emphasizing a preventative strategy, including vaccinations, reproductive health, and other maternal and child health services.

EXPERIENCE IN COUNTRY

• Building Capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
  
• Global Fund Activities: Assistance to the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM)

Building Capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)

LMS is working to build the capacity of Nigerian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to expand the delivery of quality HIV/AIDS services. USAID/Nigeria intends to provide direct funding to local CSOs to support PEPFAR implementation. USAID/Nigeria requested that LMS provide technical support to up to twelve new CSO implementing partners, who will be designated for LMS support by the USAID Mission during the 2007–2008 fiscal year. LMS support will build the overall capacity of CSO management systems, including project management, annual planning, financial management, monitoring and evaluation (focusing on PEPFAR requirements), human resource management, quality assurance, organizational governance, and the coordination and facilitation of partnerships among other health services organizations. Support will also be provided to CSOs in the areas of abstinence and be-faithful prevention programs and programs utilizing other HIV/AIDS prevention methods.

Assistance to the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) in Nigeria

LMS and MEASURE Evaluation conducted an assessment of CCM governance in December 2006. Through document review and focused discussions with key stakeholders, including CCM members, Principal Recipients and Sub-Recipients, the team reviewed CCM functioning as against Global Fund standards, and CCM operations, including implementation of its oversight responsibilities. The team produced a scope of work for consideration by the CCM to further strengthen key management functions, including funds flow analysis, monitoring and evaluation, and communications planning. The scope of work proposes the introduction of the “Early Alert System,” a tool developed by LMS in Nicaragua which has been applied by LMS in its GFATM work in Tanzania and Zanzibar. The System facilitates routine monitoring and decision-making on priority management and technical assistance needs of organizations implementing GFATM activities.