eHealth Africa, in collaboration with the Centre for Dryland Agriculture at Bayero University, Kano, has completed the pilot phase of a newly developed geospatial curriculum aimed at strengthening health systems across Kano State.
The initiative, which received support from the Kano State Ministry of Health and the Kano State Primary Health Care Board, is designed to improve the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in health programmes, particularly in planning, service delivery, and data-driven decision-making.
Backed by the Umbrella Fund, the project forms part of broader efforts to institutionalise geospatial tools within the health sector by equipping frontline health workers, programme officers, and planners with practical GIS skills.
Health experts note that many public health challenges are location-specific, often affecting underserved or hard-to-reach communities. However, decision-making in the sector has frequently lacked sufficient geographic context. The new curriculum seeks to bridge this gap by integrating geospatial analysis into routine health operations, including immunisation microplanning, disease surveillance, and emergency response.
The pilot training, held from March 4 to 7, 2026, at Bayero University’s Centre for Dryland Agriculture, brought together 41 participants from various government institutions and partner organisations. The training was structured into three levels Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced covering key areas such as map reading, GPS usage, digital data collection, spatial analysis, and practical application of GIS tools in health programmes.
Speaking on the initiative, Project Manager at eHealth Africa, Comfort Audu, described the programme as timely, highlighting the diversity of participating agencies.
“The initiative is timely, bringing together participants from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including NAFDAC, Veterinary Services, Digital Health, Environment, and Food and Drug regulatory bodies. This reflects the growing importance of the One Health approach,” she said.
Also commenting, Associate Manager, GIS & Data Analytics at eHealth Africa, Victor Idakwo, explained that the project was designed to address fragmented training approaches.
“Before this time, we had geospatial learning and training done in silos. This informed the development of a standardized curriculum, delivered in partnership with an accredited university in Nigeria. Instead of having training across different organisations, all the organisations can now come to a single place to receive the training,” he said.
At the academic level, the Deputy Director of the Centre for Dryland Agriculture, Professor Murtala Mohammed Badamasi, confirmed that the university is taking steps to embed the curriculum into its formal programmes.
“Bayero University was willing to institutionalise this particular curriculum. We developed the curriculum together, and we are now making it part and parcel of the courses that will be run by the Centre,” he stated, adding that the partnership reflects the value of collaboration between academia and non-governmental organisations.
Participants at the training also shared positive feedback on its impact. A Data Analyst at the State Emergency Operations Centre, Bashir Abubakar Abdullahi, said the programme had significantly changed his understanding of data usage.
“This programme has really opened my eyes to how I see data. Geospatial data now has much greater meaning to me. When you use it, you gain deeper insight,” he said, noting that GIS tools can help track disease hotspots and improve resource allocation.
Similarly, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control official Kasim Ibrahim said the training introduced him to new digital tools that enhance field operations.
“Before this programme, I had no prior knowledge. The only thing I used partially was Google Maps. But now, it has shown me that with these tools, we can get better data and enhance field activities. Previously, we relied on analogue methods, which are prone to errors,” he said.
The partnership between eHealth Africa and Bayero University is expected to strengthen long-term capacity in geospatial health applications, providing a sustainable pathway for improving healthcare delivery across Kano State and beyond.
