By Rukayya Nadabo
The Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND) team has, on Tuesday 4th November 2025, paid a working visit to the Ministry of Health for a post-funding verification exercise on the utilization of counterpart funding for the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) intervention.
The verification exercise was carried out as part of KHETFUND’s mandate to ensure accountability, transparency, and efficient utilization of health funds in the state. It focused on confirming that counterpart funds released for MNCHW activities were applied according to approved budgets and aligned with the program’s objectives of improving maternal and child health outcomes.
The KHETFUND has released N84 million on 22nd July 2025 to the State Ministry of Health as a counterpart funding for MNCHW activities. During the verification, KHETFUND reviewed financial and programmatic records, validated expenditures at the Ministry of Health, and engaged with key officials. The process was meant to assess the reach and impact of the activities supported through the MNCHW funding.
Speaking during the exercise, the Executive Secretary of KHETFUND, Dr. Fatima Usman Zahraddeen, who was represented by the Head of Account Abdulmalik Kabir, emphasized the importance of fiscal discipline and evidence-based health financing:
“The Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week remains a cornerstone of our efforts to reduce preventable deaths among women and children in Kano State. This verification reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that funds invested in the health sector deliver measurable results for our people.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Director Public Health and Disease Control Dr. Abdullahi Sa'ad, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for Health Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, commended KHETFUND for its proactive oversight role and reaffirmed the Ministry’s dedication to maintaining transparency in managing health resources.
“We appreciate the collaborative approach adopted by KHETFUND. Their verification strengthens our systems and builds public confidence in government-led health initiatives,” he stated.
The MNCHW initiative provides an integrated platform for the delivery of high-impact interventions such as routine immunization, antenatal care, vitamin A supplementation, deworming, and health education. The counterpart funding arrangement between KHETFUND and the Ministry of Health ensures that these essential services continue to reach mothers and children across all 44 local government areas of Kano State.
In a related development, the Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND) team has visited the Hospitals Management Board for a pre-funding verification of the request of funds for Phases I and II of the proposed Staff Audit and Tracking Software Development Project. The Staff Audit Tracking Software aims to enhance personnel management, strengthen institutional efficiency, and provide real-time data for informed decision-making across public healthcare facilities in Kano State.
Speaking on the development, Dr. Fatima Usman Zahraddeen, the Executive Secretary of KHETFUND, disclosed that the pre-funding verification is a standard due diligence procedure to validate project feasibility, technical soundness, and budgetary alignment with the Fund’s strategic objectives. “This verification exercise is not just a procedural step —it is a demonstration of KHETFUND’s commitment to prudent resource management," the Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Head of Account Abdulmalik Kabir, said.
The Hospital Management Board’s proposal seeks to deploy a robust digital platform capable of conducting comprehensive staff audits, tracking personnel postings, and generating performance analytics to optimize workforce deployment across the state’s healthcare facilities. The pre-funding verification will include an assessment of the project’s technical design and implementation plan, cost justification and sustainability framework, compliance with KHETFUND’s funding guidelines and state procurement regulations, as well as institutional readiness and capacity of the Hospital Management Board to manage the project effectively. Upon successful verification, KHETFUND will consider the release of funds for Phase I (System Design and Development) and Phase II (Pilot Implementation and Capacity Building) of the project.
KHETFUND remains steadfast in supporting innovative digital health solutions that improve governance, service delivery, and workforce accountability within the Kano State health sector.
