Yobe state has been named the overall Best Performing State at the third edition of the National Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge Awards.
The awards ceremony, held late last night, was organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF)—the umbrella body for the country’s 36 governors—in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and UNICEF, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The programme aims to promote accountability and foster healthy competition among states to enhance health outcomes and improve the quality of primary healthcare services at the grassroots level.
Yobe state received a grand prize of $700,000 for its exceptional efforts in strengthening primary healthcare. In addition, it won the Zonal Best Performing State award for the North-East, which came with a prize of $500,000, bringing its total winnings to $1.2 million. The state was recognized for excellence in quality of care and patient satisfaction.
Other Zonal Awards of $500,000 each were given to the top states in the remaining geopolitical zones: Nasarawa (North-Central), Zamfara (North-West), Abia (South-East), Rivers (South-South), and Osun (South-West). First runners-up in each zone received $400,000. The runners-up included Gombe (North-East), Kwara (North-Central), Kaduna (North-West), Anambra (South-East), Bayelsa (South-South), and Ogun (South-West).
The total prize money of $6.1 million is intended to be reinvested by the winning states to further develop primary healthcare infrastructure, services, and human resource capacity.
According to the NGF, the event aligns with the Federal Government’s National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which prioritises strengthening the PHC system as a foundation for universal health coverage.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, represented by Minister of Health Dr. Ali Pate, congratulated the winners and commended state governors for their leadership in improving health outcomes. He highlighted that constructive competition, such as the PHC Leadership Challenge, ensures national progress. Shettima noted that since the signing of a long-term health compact with President Bola Tinubu two years ago, 20 states have exceeded their health targets in 2024.
He also emphasized that states have increased their health budget allocations to ₦2.6 trillion and urged governors to continue raising this to at least ₦3.5 trillion in the next fiscal year. While acknowledging ongoing challenges with healthcare affordability, Shettima affirmed the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce costs for drugs, diagnostics, and tests, encouraging states to complement these initiatives.
Shettima further highlighted the broader benefits of investing in health, including a healthier and more productive population, human capital development, stronger communities, and economic growth through job creation and local manufacturing, citing the recent groundbreaking of Africa’s first factory producing long-lasting insecticide nets. He expressed hope that Nigeria would become self-sufficient in health sector investment within five years, reducing reliance on external aid.
Speaking on behalf of the winning states, Governor Alex Otti of Abia thanked the NGF, World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF, and other sponsors, pledging to further improve healthcare delivery by 2026. He emphasized that health spending should be seen as essential to human survival, not merely as an investment expecting financial returns.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, winner of the North-West Zonal Award, said the $500,000 prize would be reinvested in refurbishing PHC centres across the state. He stressed that despite funding challenges, Zamfara would continue prioritising healthcare.
Earlier, NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by Nasarawa Governor Engr. Abdullahi Sule, highlighted the progress made since the signing of the health compact with President Tinubu and development partners two years ago. He noted that state health budgets have steadily increased—from ₦831 billion in 2022 to ₦2.36 trillion in 2025—with 30% of these funds dedicated to primary healthcare. This investment has led to infrastructural upgrades, expanded recruitment of health personnel, and reductions in institutional maternal mortality.
AbdulRazaq also announced that an expanded scorecard to track subnational commitments to the Health Sector Renewal Compact will be released in 2026, allowing governors to monitor progress transparently. He reaffirmed the NGF’s dedication to the Seattle Declaration, emphasizing that the PHC Leadership Challenge demonstrates that these commitments are being actively pursued to ensure quality primary healthcare access for all Nigerians, regardless of location.
