The Annual Learning Summit of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project, a five-year initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Palladium, has successfully concluded in Abuja.

Hosted at the Abuja Continental Hotel (formerly Sheraton Hotel) on September 20th and 21st, 2023, the event brought together stakeholders from various advocacy clusters to celebrate achievements, share insights, and promote collaboration.

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is the anchor organization for the Right to Health Cluster of the SCALE project and has been instrumental in advancing advocacy engagement and policy reform in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and across seven focal states, namely Sokoto, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Imo, Ekiti, Bauchi, and Rivers, have benefited from the project’s initiatives.

One notable achievement highlighted during the summit was the successful launch of health insurance coverage for state civil servants and vulnerable individuals in Imo State. This significant milestone can be attributed to the dedicated efforts of the Right to Health cluster organization in Imo State, People’s Right Organization.

In August 2022, People’s Right Organization embarked on an advocacy visit to the Imo State Health Insurance Agency, urging the agency to expedite the implementation of a health insurance programme in the state. At the time of the advocacy visit, the Imo State government had not yet commenced the implementation of the health insurance programme. However, the agency responded positively to the advocacy visit, committing to initiating the health insurance programme.

The cluster then went on to develop a comprehensive policy brief on the implementation of the Imo State Health Insurance Programme. This policy brief served as a roadmap for the rollout and execution of the health insurance programme in Imo State. To ensure that the policy brief’s recommendations were well-founded, sector experts were invited to a validation meeting, where the positions and recommendations contained within the document were carefully assessed. The policy brief received validation on October 18, 2022, and subsequently served as a guiding document in engagements with the Imo State Health Insurance Agency.

The sustained efforts and advocacy engagements of the cluster bore fruit, resulting in the official launch of the health insurance program by the Governor of Imo State in May 2023. This momentous occasion marked the inclusion of 46,000 Imo State civil servants and 66,000 vulnerable persons as beneficiaries of the health insurance program.

The Executive Director of People’s Right Organization, a valued member of the cluster in Imo State, received an invitation to participate in the programme’s kick-off event, recognizing their instrumental role in achieving this significant milestone.

The success story from Imo State serves as a testament to the impactful work of the SCALE project and its advocacy clusters, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in driving policy reform and improving the lives of citizens.