Yobe wins $1.2m as best performing state in primary health care delivery
By Kunle Sanni
Yobe State has emerged as the best performing state in primary health care (PHC) delivery in Nigeria, winning a total of $1.2 million at the 2025 Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Awards held in Abuja on Friday.
The state was adjudged the overall best performer at the national level and also clinched the North-East zonal award, earning a $700,000 performance prize in addition to $500,000 for topping its zone.
The awards, organised 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 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, recognise states that demonstrate leadership, accountability and measurable improvements in primary healthcare outcomes.
Yobe was selected as the overall winner for what organisers described as its “exceptionally well-balanced performance” across key primary healthcare indicators.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Director for Health Systems Strengthening at the Gates Foundation, Nkata Chuku, said the PHC Leadership Challenge was created to promote peer accountability among states and accelerate health sector reforms at the subnational level.
He described the awards as a milestone in a reform journey that began in 2019, when Nigerian governors endorsed the Seattle Declaration on primary health care financing and reform.
“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 primary health care,” Chuku said.
He noted that recent national surveys and monitoring data show progress across key health indicators, including routine immunisation, skilled birth attendance, malaria services, nutrition and family planning, although challenges still remain.
