By Rotimi Odofin
In alignment with global best practices for accurate health data management, the Kogi State Government has officially launched the distribution of Health Data Tools to all public and private health facilities within the state.
This significant initiative represents a proactive step by the government to ensure comprehensive and effective health record-keeping for every service provided in health institutions across Kogi State.
The distribution ceremony took place today, August 27, 2025, at the State Ministry of Health in Lokoja.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza emphasized that the Health Data Tools initiative is a crucial component of his administration’s efforts to address pressing challenges within the state’s healthcare sector.
Governor Ododo highlighted that these data tools are standardized national documents utilized by health facilities throughout Nigeria to accurately document health data accurately.
Dr. Abdulazeez Adeiza further explained that the Kogi State Ministry of Health has taken the initiative to produce the standardized template from the National Health Data Tools, which is aimed at enhancing the reporting rate of health data to the national platform.
He noted that the administration of Governor Ododo is committed to making these Health Data Tools available, marking a pioneering effort in the state to systematically collect and utilize data from every health centre and institution.
According to Dr. Adeiza, the 5,000 copies of the Health Data Tools, were prepared by the Department of Health Planning, Research, Statistics, and Documentation of the Federal Ministry of Health for distribution to health facilities nationwide.
He added that the state government has undertaken the responsibility of reproducing these essential tools to ensure their availability across Kogi State.
This initiative underscores the Kogi State Government’s dedication to improving healthcare delivery through enhanced data management and reporting practices.
During the flag-off event, Mr. Johnson Ayedogbon, the Kogi State Director of Health Research, Statistics, and Documentation, expressed his gratitude to the state government for its significant achievements in the health sector.
He highlighted that the newly introduced Health Data Tools will greatly enhance the Ministry of Health’s ability to capture comprehensive service data from health facilities across the state.
Mr. Ayedogbon emphasized that the Health Data Tools represent the sole framework for documenting all services provided in both public and private health institutions, encompassing primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities.
He underscored the critical importance of these tools, noting that all data generated from health facilities must be uploaded to the national health information system, the DHI, and S2.
Failure to utilize these documents would result in the health services rendered in Kogi State being unrecorded, which could imply a lack of activity in the state’s health sector.
He further remarked that the government’s commitment to ensuring the availability of these data tools marks a significant milestone for Kogi’s health sector. Many other states have yet to implement such tools in their health facilities. Previously, the federal government provided funding for these data recording tools through departmental partners; however, since the funding ended, many state governments have struggled to maintain their provision.
Mr. Ayedogbon expressed his satisfaction with the proactive measures taken by Governor Ododo’s administration in Kogi State, which has successfully produced a sufficient number of data tools for all health facilities. He noted that Kogi State is now among the leading states in the country to achieve this milestone, having initiated the production and distribution of these essential tools.
This achievement was made possible through a collaborative effort between the Kogi State Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communication through the Ministry’s printing press department.
According to him, he is already bringing in fruitful results as the state was able to meet up 80% of the expected national reporting rate.
Mr Ayedogbon concluded by advocating for strict adherence to the usage of the data Tools by all health facilities in the state especially by the private sector health practitioners whom he noted that have been lacking and drawing the ministry backward in the past.
He equally advocates that the updating of the provided data records tools should be part of the ministry criteria for license renewal for the private health practitioners in the state through the concerted efforts of the ministry inspectorate team.
The data Tools flag-off in another big way in which the Kogi State Government is demonstrating a strong commitment to improving health data management and service delivery in the state.
