By Bashir Hassan
As part of preparations for the formalization of the Bauchi State 2026 budget, the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA) has commenced the development of its 2026 Annual Operational Plan (AOP) to ensure alignment with the state’s fiscal framework.
The AOP development meeting, holding from Friday, August 29 to Sunday, August 31, 2025, brings together participants from all directorates of the Agency.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of BASHCMA, Alhaji Ibrahim Inuwa Duguri (Yariman Yankari), urged participants to make meaningful contributions that would help produce a realistic, actionable, and inclusive roadmap for the coming year.
He cautioned the senior participants against populating the AOP with unrealistic activities and inflated costings, warning that such practices could undermine the Agency’s performance ratings during subsequent review meetings. Duguri expressed confidence that the three-day engagement would produce a standard 2026 AOP in line with the state’s fiscal projections.
Also speaking, the State Deputy Desk Officer of the recently launched Federal Government Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) initiative on healthcare, Pharmacist Ibrahim Muhammad, called on participants to take into account the National Health Sector Strategic Blueprint (HSSB) 2023–2027 while developing the plan. According to him, the HSSB serves as the country’s guiding framework for strengthening institutional mandates and improving health sector performance nationwide.
Earlier, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) of BASHCMA, Hajiya Rahmatu Haruna Musa, explained that the objective of the meeting was to collaboratively design the Agency’s 2026 AOP, ensuring alignment with its strategic goals, Bauchi State health priorities, and the national SWAp initiative.
A goodwill message was delivered by Mr. Jinjiri John Garba, who represented civil society organizations in Bauchi State.