The optimism surrounding the recent appointment of Professor Adenike Grange as health minister seems justified looking at recent reports. In her first meeting with key stakeholders in the Nigerian health sector, she has emphasized that it is time to move from a focus on policy to implementation and evaluation. To kick this off, she is pushing for a rapid appraisal of the country’s health needs, a review of what resources are available to meet these needs and the development of a costed National health Improvement Plan.

Cheeringly she has also initiated contact with legislators to promote the passage of the National Health Act which has languished unpassed in spite of being the product of careful detailed review by a wide number of stakeholders in the health sector. Let us hope that the legislators will turn aside from the squabbles over buying new official cars and awarding contracts and pass the bill. For a fuller report on the Minister’s meeting with stakeholders see here