Yobe named best performing state at PHC leadership awards, wins $1.2m prize

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.