Governors’ Forum To Rank Members On Financing, Health Performance

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has announced that state governors will be ranked on health governance, financing and overall primary healthcare (PHC) performance as it unveiled the third edition of the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Awards.

The awards, scheduled for today, aim to strengthen accountability and drive reforms across Nigeria’s PHC systems.

In a statement, the director, Media and Strategic Communications of the NGF, Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, said the NGF is organising the initiative in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, and supported by the Gates Foundation.

The forum’s chairman and Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the challenge has become a benchmark for evaluating effective leadership in the health sector, noting that it “celebrates results, rewards performance and ultimately delivers better care for our people.”

Rooted in the 2019 Seattle Declaration, signed by all the 36 governors in Nigeria, the PHC Leadership Challenge aims to reinforce political ownership of health outcomes, enhance transparency in PHC financing, promote peer learning and track progress under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) Compact.

The governors are assessed using a Performance Monitoring Framework (PMF) jointly developed by PHC stakeholders and endorsed by states through their commissioners for health.

The framework measures governance and leadership, financing, quality of care, evidence use and sustainability, aligned with the MAMMS principles and presidential indicators under the NHSRII.

A total of 13 awards will be presented, including Best Performing and Most Improved States in each geopolitical zone, as well as a national award for the Overall Best Performing State. The award fund for this edition stands at $6.1 million, with winning states required to reinvest directly into strengthening PHC systems.

The judging panel comprises leaders from academia, public health, traditional and religious institutions, civil society, and the media, who will validate assessments conducted by independent verification agents recruited through the United Nations system.

The first edition of the awards, held in May 2023, crowned Borno State as national champion, while the second edition, in December 2024, saw Anambra State winning the top prize. Other zonal winners over the years include Kwara, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Rivers, Ondo, Osun, Yobe, Kaduna, and Gombe, which also earned a special innovation award.

“This is not just an award ceremony. It is a celebration of impact, accountability, and a commitment to the health and well-being of every Nigerian,” AbdulRazaq said.