NGF Hails Yobe as Top State in Primary Health Care

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Recognition of Excellence in Primary Healthcare

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has celebrated outstanding performance in the health sector by naming Yobe State as the overall Best Performing State at the third edition of the NGF’s National Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge Awards. The event, held in Abuja, brought together key stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation.

This initiative aims to promote accountability and healthy competition among states to improve health outcomes and the quality of care delivered at the grassroots level. Yobe State was awarded a grand prize of $700,000 for its commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services. Additionally, the state 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.

Each geopolitical zone also received $500,000 for their zonal awards, while the first runners-up were awarded $400,000 each. The runners-up for the best performing state awards included Gombe (North-East), Kwara (North-Central), Kaduna State (North-West), Anambra (South-East), Bayelsa (South-South), and Ogun (South-West). Other states that won the “Zonal Best Performing State awards” included Nasarawa for North-Central, Zamfara for North-West, Abia for South-East, Rivers for South-South, and Osun for South-West.

The prizes awarded, totaling $6.1 million, are intended to be reinvested by the winning states to further enhance their primary healthcare infrastructure, services, and human resource capacity. This investment is part of the Federal Government’s National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which prioritises strengthening the PHC system as the foundation of universal health coverage.

Leadership and Commitment to Health Improvement

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who was represented by the Minister of Health, Dr Ali Pate, addressed the gathering and congratulated all the winners. He commended the state governors for their leadership and support towards improving health outcomes. Shettima highlighted the progress made in the health sector since the governors signed a long-term compact with President Bola Tinubu two years ago under the sector-wide programme.

He noted that between 2024 and now, 20 states have surpassed their targets in 2024. Shettima pointed out that states have been increasing their budgetary allocations for health to ₦2.6 billion compared to previous levels. He emphasized that a healthy individual is key to national development and tasked state governors to increase their investments in healthcare, projecting that the total allocation to the health sector should reach at least ₦3.5 trillion in the next fiscal year.

Shettima acknowledged the challenges Nigerians face regarding the affordability of healthcare services and mentioned that the Federal Government is intervening to cut down the cost of drugs, diagnosis, and tests. He stressed the need for state governments to support these efforts. Shettima expressed optimism that within the next five years, the country will become self-sufficient in investing in its own health sector, reducing dependency on external assistance.

Commitment to Future Improvements

Speaking for the states that won awards, Governor Alex Otti of Abia commended those behind the initiative and assured that states would raise the bar in 2026. He emphasized that investment in healthcare is a necessary condition for people to survive in their states. Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State assured that the $500,000 won by his state would be reinvested to refurbish some of the PHC centres in the state. He noted that while inadequate funding remains a challenge, Zamfara State government will continue to prioritize the health sector.

NGF’s Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, highlighted the progress made over the last three editions of the PHC Leadership Challenge. He noted that states have increased their budget allocations to health, resulting in significant infrastructural upgrades across PHC facilities and expanded recruitment of human resources for health. The combined health budget for the 36 States has grown from ₦831 billion in 2022, to ₦927 billion in 2023, ₦1.4 trillion in 2024, and ₦2.36 trillion in 2025—with 30% of these annual budgets dedicated to Primary Health Care.

AbdulRazaq also announced the release of an expanded scorecard to track subnational commitments to the Health Sector Renewal Compact in 2026, enabling governors to transparently monitor and uphold their commitments. He reaffirmed the dedication to the aspirations of the Seattle Declaration, emphasizing that the progress made through the PHC Leadership Challenge affirms that these commitments are responsibilities pursued with diligence and focus.