By Khalid Idris Doya
The Government of Canada has emphasised the importance of investing in healthcare as a critical foundation for economic growth, sustainable development and improved community well-being.
Chloé Simard, Senior Analyst with Global Affairs Canada (GAC), based in Ottawa, stated this in Bauchi during a 2-day visit by a delegation from Global Affairs Canada to assess the state's healthcare sector and witness firsthand the achievements recorded through various development interventions.
Simard said Nigeria remained a priority country for Canada under its Africa Strategy, which provides the framework for the country's engagement and cooperation with African nations.
She explained that the strategy focuses on strengthening partnerships and exploring opportunities to achieve shared prosperity through collaboration.
According to her, investments in healthcare, alongside broader socioeconomic development, are essential to building healthy and resilient populations, which are critical foundations for sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
"We are also keen to see stronger collaboration among development partners and state governments because we believe that state ownership is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of development investments," she said.
She reaffirmed Canada's commitment to supporting efforts aimed at improving health outcomes and promoting community well-being in Bauchi State.
Also speaking, Rasmata Barry, Senior Development Officer with Global Affairs Canada in Abuja, described Nigeria as a priority country for Canada's international development cooperation, particularly in the health sector, identifying Bauchi State as one of the major areas of focus.
Barry said the delegation's visit was aimed at engaging relevant stakeholders, understanding progress made so far and assessing the impact of development interventions on communities.
"As we explore ways of working together with our partners to effectively implement the Canada-Africa Strategy, we consider it important to take time to engage with stakeholders, understand the progress being made and assess the impact of our interventions on the ground," she said.
She further identified gender equality as a major component of Canada's development investments, explaining that the delegation included a gender specialist from Global Affairs Canada to provide technical guidance and ensure that gender considerations were integrated into development programmes and interventions.
Barry also disclosed that environmental sustainability remained an important consideration in the implementation of some of Canada's development projects.
She stressed the need to address the effects of climate change and ensure that environmental concerns were adequately considered in development interventions.
According to her, the visit would provide the delegation with a better understanding of the challenges confronting Nigeria's healthcare sector and help identify strategic areas where development partners could channel their interventions and investments for meaningful and sustainable results.
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