Yobe has been named the best-performing state in primary
healthcare delivery in Nigeria at the 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge awards.
The awards, held in Abuja on Friday, recognised states
demonstrating leadership, accountability and measurable improvements in primary
healthcare outcomes.
The challenge was organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum
(NGF) in partnership with the ministry of health and social welfare, the
National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and UNICEF, with
support from the Gates Foundation.
Yobe, which also won the north-east zonal category, was
adjudged the overall best performing state for its “exceptionally well-balanced
performance”.
The state received a $700,000 performance award, in addition
to the $500,000 prize for winning the north-east zone.
Speaking at the event, Nkata Chuku, the deputy director,
health systems strengthening at the Gates Foundation, said the PHC leadership
challenge was designed to reward peer accountability and accelerate reforms at
the subnational level.
“Today marks an important milestone in a journey that began
when we gathered in Seattle in 2019 with twelve Governors to chart a new course
for primary health care in Nigeria,” he said.
“Your endorsement of the Seattle Declaration, and the
consistent progress you have pursued remains one of the clearest demonstrations
of Nigeria’s commitment to reform, prioritise, and sustainably finance PHC.”
Chuku said recent national surveys and monitoring data
showed progress across key health indicators, including routine immunisation,
skilled birth attendance, malaria services, nutrition and family planning,
while also highlighting persisting gaps.
He added that the integrated polio and routine immunisation
campaigns implemented in more than 20 states had contributed to a sharp decline
in circulating vaccine-derived polio cases over the last year.
“The challenge fund is a tool. Your leadership is the engine
that will deliver lasting change for every Nigerian family,” he said.
‘POWERFUL DRIVER OF ACCOUNTABILITY’
Muyi Aina, the executive director of NPHCDA, described the
PHC leadership challenge as “a powerful driver of accountability and healthy
competition among states, ensuring measurable improvements in service
delivery.”
“This is the third cycle of the PHC Leadership Challenge
Award. Over the last cycles, we have witnessed significant progress in our
collective efforts to strengthen our PHC system and ensure more Nigerians have
access to quality, equitable PHC services through a system that they trust,” he
said.
Aina outlined achievements recorded under ongoing reforms,
including the revitalisation of over 2,000 primary health centres nationwide,
expanded disbursement of the basic health care provision fund, large-scale
training of frontline health workers, improved maternal and newborn health
outcomes, and expanded immunisation coverage.
He, however, warned that some states still lag in recruiting
skilled birth attendants and community-based health workers, and called on
governors to take ownership of the leadership challenge as funding support from
the Gates Foundation sunsets in 2026.
“States who did not win awards today should take it as a
challenge and a call to work harder,” he said.
Earlier, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, chairman of the NGF and
governor of Kwara state, said the awards had become a national tradition and a
key part of Nigeria’s annual observance of Universal Health Coverage Day.
“Over the last three years, states have increased their
budget allocations to health, resulting in significant infrastructural upgrades
across PHC facilities and expanded recruitment of human resources for health,”
he said.
He added that state health budgets had grown significantly
between 2022 and 2025, with about 30 percent dedicated to primary healthcare.
He said the steady progress recorded across the federation
showed that “when leadership is intentional and accountable, measurable and
transformative change is possible.”
OTHER AWARD WINNERS
In the north-east zone, Gombe was the first runner-up. In the north-central zone, Nasarawa state won the zonal prize, while Kwara state finished as first runner-up. In the north-west, Zamfara state was the winner of the zonal category, with Kaduna state taking the first runner-up position.
In the south-east, Abia state clinched the zonal award,
while Anambra state emerged first runner-up. Rivers state won the south-south
zonal prize, with Bayelsa state finishing as first runner-up, while in the
south-west, Osun state emerged winner and Ogun state took the first runner-up
position.
All winners of each zone received a $500,000 prize, while
first runner-ups received $400,000.
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