Dr. Kehinde Osinowo, CEO of ARFH, led a high-level advocacy visit to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Mrs. Kemi Ogunyemi, on March 26, 2025.
The Lagos State Ministry of Health and Lagos State Primary Health Care Board were well represented at the meeting, with the presence of: Perm. Secretary (Health) Dr. Segun Ogboye, Bolanle B. Kazeem DNS, Dr. Veronica Iwayemi – Ag. DMS/DC, Dr. Adeniyi Taofiq Asst RHO, Dr. Oludara F- Director Family Health and Nutrition, Adesola Ruth – FP Desk Officer, Sarah Balogun – SSA to Special Adviser, Samuel Esther – Rep State Health Educator, Dr. Wellington Abosede- CCC, Dr. Olajumoke A. Oyenuga – Director, DPRS, Pharm (Mrs) Wale – DPS, Dr Abimbola Bowale PS HD4, Dr. M. M. Adeleke – PS HD3, Dr O.O PS HD5, Aluko D Inumidun FPLO, Idris Olanike M&E, Latipatu A. Adeleye – FP Coordinator, Dr. Victoria Egunjobi – DDC and other key officials and stakeholders
The CEO presented a catalogue of the various cross cutting project investments implemented by ARFH in its almost two decades of project implementation in Lagos state including the Gates foundation supported RASUDiN project and the ongoing CODSAIN project, Global Fund grants on HIV and TB, Group Antenatal care (G- ANC), Integrated Child and Social Services Award (ICHSSA2)
The conversation and discussion focused on strengthening the Government’s commitment to domestic resource mobilization more than ever before towards improving in primary healthcare, RMNCAH, family planning, and child welfare, with an emphasis on scaling up the Gates Foundation-supported CODSAiN Project and ICHSSA 2 Project to enhance healthcare delivery in Lagos.
Lagos Leads in Family Planning Innovation
The meeting highlighted Lagos’ leadership in health system strengthening and the success of CODSAiN, where 67% of DMPA-SC users now opt for self-injection, leading to a 225% increase in uptake—a testament to the power of self-care solutions in family planning!
Expanding Impact through ICHSSA 2
The ICHSSA 2 project continues to transform child welfare and adolescent health in Lagos by:
Supporting 315 community and facility case managers, serving 46,011 active beneficiaries
Establishing seven Adolescent & Youth-Friendly Centres in six health facilities
Providing block grants to primary schools
Training 40 case managers in parasocial workforce development
Equipping 90 adolescents with digital skills, providing laptops and internet access, and fostering partnerships with global tech companies like Cisco, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and Meta for job readiness
Strategic Commitments for Sustainability
ARFH reaffirmed its commitment to:
Addressing commodity stockouts, workforce capacity gaps, and service accessibility
Advocating for increased state funding and integration of self-care interventions
Strengthening supply chain management—all aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and SWAp framework to reduce maternal and child mortality
Next Steps: Strengthening Government Ownership
Dr. Mrs. Ogunyemi reiterated Lagos State’s commitment to reproductive health and child welfare, ensuring that ARFH’s recommendations inform policy and programmatic decisions for sustained impact and government ownership—advancing health for all.
