The Health Emergency Initiative, in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council, during the recently concluded Emergency Health Education Curriculum Conference, aims to integrate emergency health education into Nigeria’s primary and secondary school system.
This was disclosed in a statement obtained by PUNCH Online on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the conference marked “a significant milestone in advancing health security and emergency preparedness across Nigeria’s education sector.”
The organisers said the event convened key stakeholders “from the health, education, policy, and emergency response sectors to deliberate on the integration of Emergency Health Education into Nigeria’s academic curriculum for primary and secondary schools.”
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of NERDC, Salisu Shehu, emphasised the urgency of institutionalising emergency health knowledge within the school system.
He stated that embedding Emergency Health Education in the national curriculum would serve as “a proactive strategy for building resilient communities,” adding that it would “foster a culture of preparedness from an early age.”
Chairman of the HEI Board of Trustees, Emmanuel Imafidon, described the collaboration with NERDC as “a landmark achievement in aligning emergency health awareness with national educational standards.”
He reaffirmed HEI’s commitment to ensuring that “every Nigerian child acquires essential life-saving competencies.”
The statement added that the conference featured “expert-led presentations by over 20 scholars, medical consultants, practitioners, and certified trainers,” alongside policy dialogues and strategic planning sessions led by the NERDC curriculum development team.
Participants also witnessed practical demonstrations, including Basic First Aid management for road traffic accidents and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
In his closing remarks, HEI’s Executive Director, Paschal Achunine, said Emergency Health Education “would be integrated into relevant core subjects in both public and private primary and secondary schools nationwide” upon the conclusion of the conference and subsequent approvals.
He further disclosed that “a standalone curriculum module will be developed to further strengthen the initiative.”
Achunine also noted that the deployment of the Health Emergency Rapid Aid initiative “will complement the nationwide rollout, enhancing rapid response capabilities and reinforcing practical learning.”
Representatives of partner agencies commended the programme, describing it as timely and essential.
The conference concluded with stakeholders pledging to “accelerate policy adoption, deepen inter-sector collaboration, and ensure the nationwide implementation of the Emergency Health Education curriculum.
