Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has unveiled the healthcare reforms his administration has implemented since 2019, focusing on strengthening primary healthcare delivery across the state.
Speaking on Wednesday as a panellist alongside Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates at the 2025 Goalkeepers event hosted by the Gates Foundation in Lagos, Yahaya detailed key improvements in immunisation rates, access to care, and infrastructure upgrades.
“Immunisation coverage has now risen to around 50%, and access to primary healthcare ranges between 40% and 45%. We have also developed the necessary infrastructure across the health sector,” Yahaya said.
He noted that these developments have already led to a reduction in maternal and child mortality rates, improved staff performance, and more efficient service delivery.
“The improvements aren’t only visible in increased attendance at health centres, but also in better maternal and child health outcomes. Mortality rates have dropped, absenteeism among staff has declined, and performance levels have exceeded our expectations,” he added.
‘We Started From a Low Base’
Yahaya stated that these advances stemmed from deliberate early-term investments in human capital, particularly through health and education reforms.
“When I took office in 2019, our performance on human capital indicators was poor. I prioritised primary healthcare as a strategic route to fast-track development,” he said.
“At the time, attendance at primary health facilities was only about 50% to 53%, immunisation coverage stood at 18%, and health expenditure accounted for just 3.5% of the budget.”
‘We Took Bold Steps’
He acknowledged that access to secondary healthcare was even more limited, with more than 90% of the population lacking easy access to essential services.
“We had to make bold decisions to reach the people, earn their trust, and build a system that worked. Without those steps, we wouldn’t have made the progress we see today,” he stated.
In addition to health, Yahaya’s administration also grappled with a significant education challenge. According to UNICEF, over 550,000 children were out of school in Gombe State, underscoring the need to pursue health and education reform in tandem.
He credited his involvement in the Seattle Health Roundtable as a key influence on his decision to overhaul the primary healthcare system. That reform programme now targets at least 141,000 beneficiaries.
This year’s Goalkeepers event, hosted in Lagos for the first time, brought together world leaders and reformers to evaluate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Dignitaries included Aliko Dangote, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other key figures.