The Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) Programme, established
by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and endorsed by the
Federal Government of Nigeria, is designed to improve on the Village Health Worker (VHW)
concept. It is envisaged that the Programme will help bridge the gaps in access to health
care, improve the continuum of care, link households to the healthcare systems, complement
national data systems, improve health outcomes, and strengthen the community component
of Primary Health Care (PHC), critical to attaining Universal Health Coverage.
The CHIPS Programme is structured to stimulate and support households in communities to
seek PHC services through various delivery platforms, namely the health facility and
outreaches. The Programme also enables clients to obtain essential PHC services, by bringing
these services closer to households through home visits by CHIPS Agents, especially in rural
underserved communities.
The strategy is to harmonize existing community-based programmes e.g. integrated
Community Case Management of Childhood Illnesses (iCCM), Voluntary Community Mobiliser
(VCM), and Village Health Worker (VHW) Programmes, into the CHIPS Programme. This
provides a coordinating platform with one training curriculum, one M&E Framework and one
category of community-based health workers i.e. the CHIPS Personnel (CHIPS Agents and
Community Engagement Focal Persons (CEFPs)).
A minimum of 10 CHIPS Agents, preferably females, are selected and trained in each political
ward. They work at household level, to provide counselling, create demand and refer
household members to PHC facilities for uptake of needed services. In addition, they provide
basic promotive, preventive services and case management of uncomplicated cough,
diarrhoea and fever in children under five years.
The Community Engagement Focal Persons (CEFPs), preferably males, are selected and
trained to support the work of CHIPS Agents by promoting male involvement and community
engagement and participation in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health
and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) service utilization. They facilitate and track community referrals,
and also help with addressing non-adherence to Routine Immunization (RI), Antenatal Care,
and other maternal and child health services
Critical to the success of the Programme is the availability of a functional PHC in the ward
that will serve as the site for referral. The PHC facility serves as the anchor point for CHIPS
Personnel management, supervision, and data collation and reporting within the ward. It also
serves as an operational logistics hub for the storage and distribution of commodities needed
for service delivery.
1. Transitioning of Community Resources
It is critical that the capacity built and resources invested during the implementation of
various specific community health interventions e.g. Polio Eradication Initiative, iCCM, etc.
are harnessed, transitioned and leveraged to strengthen the community component of PHC
as a whole. Therefore, existing CBHWs are mapped and prioritised for selection as CHIPS
Personnel, ensuring existing resources a fully leveraged.
Engagement of personnel for the CHIPS Programme, i.e. the CHIPS Agents and Community
Engagement Focal Persons (CEFPs) is strictly on volunteer basis. Therefore, no monetary
allowance in the form of salary is offered. However, it is recommended that states provide
small stipends to CHIPS Personnel to cover their logistics, communication and other
programme-related costs.
The CHIPS Programme Implementation Unit is made up of six (6) working groups namely;
The CHIPS PIU, led by the Programme Manager, with oversight and support by the ED/CEO
of the NPHCDA, coordinates all CHIPS Programme activities at National level, and supports
States in the planning and implementation of the CHIPS Programme. This is done in a multi-
stakeholder collaborative approach, working with FMOH, other MDAs, Development Partners,
Academia, etc.
State CHIPS PIUs, led by the State CHIPS Coordinator, comprises of State Program Officers
drawn from relevant thematic areas, with oversight provided by the SPHCDB Executive
Secretaries and Directors, drive Programme implementation at the state level, and coordinate,
monitor and supervise implementation at lower levels, with support from other MDAs,
development/implementing partners, Academia, etc.
An LGA Desk Officer (usually the MCH/RH Officer) is appointed in each implementing LGA to
provide daily coordination of the Programme at that level, with oversight from the LGA
Health Authority Management Team (LGAHMT).
Ward Development Committees (WDCs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), Civil
Society Organisations (CSOs), and Traditional and Religious bodies provide the oversight and
monitoring of the CHIPS Programme, while daily coordination and direct supervision of
CHIPS Personnel is provided by the supervising Community Health Extension Workers
(CHEWs) at the ward Focal PHC Facility.
As at October 2021, 19 States across the country are currently in the implementation phase
with all State in various stage ranging from State training of Trainers to full deployment of
CHIPS Personnel.
The National CHIPS PIU is engaging with other states (17 States and FCT) to commence
planning for implementation of the CHIPS Programme. Each state has been assigned state
support officers and assisting state support officers to provide technical guidance for the
development of an implementation work plan.
Implemented by the FMOH under the Child Health Unit of the Department of Family Health
Services, iCCM is a global strategy that seeks to expand access to treatment of leading
childhood killer diseases – malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea in especially hard to reach
areas where children under five lack access to health facilities. The strategy uses lay trained
community health workers, named CORPS who are trained to diagnose these conditions and
provide appropriate therapy.
At the sub-national level, NPHCDA has been working assiduously, with state and non-state
actors, to integrate all community based health workers, including CORPs, to ensure the
actualization of the CHIPS Programme, in line with the Presidential mandate. To support this
process, the Honourable Minister of Health directed the harmonisation of the two
programmes, ensuring iCCM is fully integrated into the CHIPS Programme at the National
Policy and Strategy level.
The NPHCDA and Department of Family Health at the FMOH have collaborated over the last
several months, with other stakeholders from MDAs, Academia, Partners, etc. to
operationalise this; the results of which are a set of comprehensive, harmonised CHIPS
Documents that will serve as the roadmap for implementation of all community health
worker programming in the country. A draft document was developed after a validation workshop held on 25th – 27th October 2021 in Lagos State. This document will be finalised
and launched by December 2021.
Multi-stakeholder representatives at iCCM-CHIPS Harmonisation Validation Workshop
Multi-stakeholder representatives at iCCM-CHIPS Harmonisation Validation Workshop
Multi-stakeholder representatives at iCCM-CHIPS Harmonisation Validation Workshop
A facilitator taking a session on counselling, with participants (CHIPS Agents, CEFPs and Supervising CHEWs)
listening keenly at the 2-week ward level training of CHIPS Personnel in Kwara State which began on the 25th of
October 2021
State Facilitator addressing CHIPS Personnel during 2-week Ward Level training in Kwara State commenced
25th October 2021
Role Play being conducted by CHIPS Agents during 2-week Ward Level training in Kwara State commenced 25th
October 2021
Practical session on community mapping during the 2-week ward level training of CHIPS Personnel in Kwara
State commenced 25th October 2021
CHIPS Agent conducting MUAC measurement on a client on community visit during CHIPS Personnel training in
Kwara State
A National Facilitator (Course Director) addressing State participants at the 2-week STOT in Delta State
commenced 25th October 2021
The Delta State participants doing the pre-test at the 2-week STOT in Delta State commenced 25th October
2021
Role play on conducting home visits during the ongoing 2 weeks State level training of trainers in Delta State
which commenced 25th October 2021
A participant demonstrating kangaroo mother care method during 2-week STOT in Katsina State commenced
18th October 2021
Demonstration on the proper application of chlorhexidine gel during SToT in Katsina State commenced 18th
October 2021
3. Selection and Training of additional CHIPS Personnel in Kaduna and Borno State
Participants adhering to hand washing guidelines during the 2-week training of additional CHIPS Personnel in
Kaduna State commenced on 25th October 2021
National Facilitator taking participant through a session during the 2-week ward level training of additional
CHIPS Personnel in Kaduna State commenced on 25th October 2021
National Facilitator taking participant through a session during the 2-week ward level training of additional
CHIPS Personnel in Kaduna State commenced on 25th October 2021
Advocacy visit and community engagement during community entry for CHIPS Personnel training in Kaduna
State commenced 25th October 2021
Advocacy visit to District Head of Buratai in Borno State during selection of CHIPS Agents commenced 25th
October 2021
CHIPS Agents selection at Gomari ward in Borno State commenced 25th October 2021