By Roselyn Odeh, Ramatu Iyimoga

In the bustling heart of Nigeria, amidst the vibrant energy of Abuja, a landmark event unfolded – the Annual Programme Review meeting for A360 Amplify, a pivotal event that brought together key stakeholders from across all A360 implementing countries; Kenya, Ethiopia and the United States held on the 16th-18th April 2024. Hosted by A360 Nigeria, this momentous gathering marked the first in Nigeria and served as a platform for reflection, collaboration, and strategic planning.

The attendees included representatives from our esteemed donors, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), as well as Population Service International (PSI). Government officials from all A360 Amplify locations, spanning Kenya, Ethiopia and of course Nigeria, joined the assembly to contribute their insights and expertise.

The agenda of the programme review encompassed an exhaustive examination of project performance across key technical areas. Participants engaged in robust discussions to recalibrate strategy elements, ensuring alignment with the programme’s overarching approach and anticipated outcomes. Furthermore, the gathering was a forum for exploring prospects and fostering cross-geographic learning.

The event unfolded over two phases, with the main meeting held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. Deliberations during this phase delved into critical areas such as sustainable scale-up, with each country presenting its strategies for expansion, focusing on progress in terms of geographic-led expansion and health systems strengthening and also highlighting the key priority areas for the year 2024. Notable highlights included a panel discussion on the barriers and enablers to sustainable scale-up, featuring insights from government officials across A360 Amplify geographies. Also, conversations were held around Contraceptive Continuation Rate performance for all the A360 geographies which allowed identifying cross-country learning opportunities.

Interactive group sessions and brainstorming activities provided ground for identifying key opportunities, including advancements in Maternal and Newborn Child Health (MNCH), Human Capital Development, and further Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) scale into new territories within and beyond A360 geographies. The meeting also embraced discussions on emerging opportunities for A360 such as HPV prevention, Climate change resilience, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) mitigation, Education /back-to-school initiatives, mental health interventions, drug and substance abuse and so on.

A key aspect of the programme was the immersion into real-time programme implementation during the second phase, comprising field visits to communities in Lafia and Karu Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State. An entry meeting/engagement with key Stakeholders from the State, at the State Ministry of Health Complex Lafia where the donors were welcomed by the state government officials and brief discussions were held on the impact of the A360 project and integration of the project into government systems.

Venturing into the heart of communities, the team experienced firsthand the impact of the A360 Nigeria Matan Matasa Arewa programme from the visits to Tudun Kauri Primary Health Care Center which is a government-led facility where they were warmly welcomed by the Nasarawa state cultural troupe and the observed ASRH service delivery, the male engagement and Life Family and Health sessions respectively. Moving further to Karu L.G.A, the guests visited Mararaba PHC which is an A360-led facility where they also observed ASRH service delivery, the male engagements and Life Family and Health sessions where they witnessed vocational skills training where the girls were taught how to make disinfectants and also witnessed alumni of the LFH sessions share their success stories and experiences with the girls. These programmatic site visits presented a real-time opportunity for the global team to interact with Nigeria’s program beneficiaries, service providers, demand generation agents and also the government officials capacitated to lead implementation in the state each visit was a tapestry of insights and sounds and allowed our visitors to connect, learn and note areas that they can apply to their countries’ programs.

The feedback garnered during these visits provided actionable insights for refining project strategies and enhancing impact while also highly commending the A360 Nigeria project.

The programme drew to a close with a dinner in Abuja, where participants reflected on their experiences and forged bonds of camaraderie. As they departed, the A360 team remained steadfast in its commitment to advancing the project’s objectives and realising its vision of empowered communities and improved holistic health outcomes for adolescent girls.