Gombe Wins $400,000 Prize at PHC Leadership Challenge
Gombe State has once more set the pace for excellence in primary healthcare, clinching second place in the North East at the 2025 Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, outperforming four states across the sub-region.
In recognition of its outstanding performance in strengthening primary health care delivery, Gombe State was rewarded with a whopping $400,000 prize.
The award was presented to Gombe State during the 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge Awards Night held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The high-level event was chaired by the Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima.
It will be recalled that last year, Gombe State made history by winning the PHC Leadership Challenge Innovation Award, the first of its kind since the initiative began, while also emerging second in North east, a feat that earned the state a $400,000 reward and underscored its sustained commitment to strengthening primary healthcare delivery.
The PHC Leadership Challenge is an initiative coordinated by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and UNICEF, with support from global partners such as the Gates Foundation and the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
It aims to motivates states to improve governance, financing, service quality, sustainability and health outcomes in their primary healthcare systems, in line with the Seattle Declaration commitments jointly adopted by all 36 state governors in 2019.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was represented at the occasion by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, congratulated Gombe and other winning states and commended governors across the federation for their support, leadership and commitment, which have attracted significant successes in the implementation of health programmes nationwide.
He also highlighted the strong political will of the present administration to reposition the health sector, noting that the Federal Government plans to increase budgetary allocation to health as part of broader reforms under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The VP emphasized that increased and sustained investment in health is critical, given its central role in national development, while also stressing the need to address persistent challenges of access to quality and affordable healthcare for many Nigerians.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, explained that the initiative was conceived to stimulate improved performance among states in the primary health care sector through healthy competition, ultimately serving the overall interest and well-being of Nigerians.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Manassah Daniel Jatau, who represented Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, expressed delight over the award and the accompanying reward, describing it as a strong validation of the state’s deliberate and sustained investments in healthcare.
Ut will be recalled that since assuming office in 2019, Governor Inuwa Yahaya has placed the health sector at the heart of his administration, beginning with the declaration of a state of emergency on healthcare.
This bold step led to the revitalization of at least one fully functional Primary Health Care centre in each of the state’s 114 wards at the first instance, with many wards now hosting two or more facilities, while secondary healthcare institutions were comprehensively upgraded to meet growing service demands.
The Governor’s commitment has driven wide-ranging reforms, including the establishment of key health agencies, the implementation of progressive policies, and sustained investments in infrastructure and human resources.
These interventions have significantly improved health outcomes, expanded access to quality services across the length and breadth of the state and positioned Gombe as a model for achieving universal health coverage in Nigeria.
The Gombe delegation at the award ceremony included the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru and the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu.
Ismaila Uba Misilli
Director-General
( Press Affairs)
Government House
Gombe