“If you don’t like what you are reaping, you better change what you have been sowing.” – Jim Rohn
Few quotes capture the essence of leadership and transformation better than this timeless wisdom from Jim Rohn. It perfectly mirrors the ongoing revolution in Gombe State’s health sector under the visionary leadership of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON.
When Governor Inuwa Yahaya assumed office in 2019, he inherited a health system in distress; underfunded, overstretched, and poorly coordinated. Infrastructure had decayed, manpower was inadequate, and access to healthcare was a privilege enjoyed by only a few.
With characteristic candour and courage, the Governor declared a State of Emergency on the health sector from his first day in office, not as a political slogan, but as a call to action backed by clear intent and data-driven planning.
Like a skilled surgeon, he embarked on a deliberate reconstruction of the healthcare delivery system. Six years on, Gombe stands tall as a model for health sector reform in Northern Nigeria, a transformation that has drawn national attention and commendation from the Federal Government and global partners alike.
The recently concluded Gombe State Health Summit, the first of its kind, symbolized the consolidation of far-reaching reforms. Declared open by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, the summit attracted policymakers, development partners, medical experts and key stakeholders from across the country.
Over four days, Gombe became the epicentre of healthcare dialogue and innovation, as more than a dozen major health projects were commissioned to further strengthen the system. It was not just a summit, it was a celebration of vision meeting execution.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya, in his keynote address, recalled the grim statistics of 2019: only 3.5% of the state’s budget was allocated to health, far below the 15% Abuja Declaration benchmark. Supervision was weak, outcomes poor and coverage limited.
Today, those numbers tell a different story. According to the 2023 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), immunisation coverage in Gombe has surged from 18% in 2018 to 49%, DPT3 coverage from 26% to 60%, and births attended by skilled personnel from 21% to 38%. The use of modern contraceptives has nearly doubled, a clear indicator of a functional and responsive healthcare system.
At the heart of this transformation lies a deliberate investment in primary healthcare. The Inuwa Yahaya administration has revitalized 228 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), ensuring two functional facilities per political ward, each equipped with solar power, boreholes, and staff quarters for round-the-clock services.
General hospitals in Kumo, Bajoga and Kaltungo have been comprehensively remodelled, while the Gombe Specialist Hospital now runs accredited postgraduate training for house officers and resident doctors.
A major highlight of this transformation is the 200-bed ultra-modern hospital in Kumo, originally built by the state but recently upgraded to a Federal Medical Centre, a validation of forward planning and the quality of investments in healthcare infrastructureby Governor Inuwa.
Institutional reforms have complemented the physical projects. The creation of a Hospitals Management Board, introduction of a biometric attendance system that exposed 440 ghost workers (saving over N4.5 billion), and the establishment of GoHealth, the Gombe State Contributory Health Scheme, have brought accountability, efficiency, and expanded access.
Today, over 380,000 residents, including 100,000 vulnerable persons, enjoy health insurance coverage under GoHealth. In addition, the establishment of GoPharma, a state-owned pharmaceutical company, is ensuring affordable access to essential drugs and moving the state closer to self-sufficiency in pharmaceutical production.
One of the most far-reaching pronouncements at the Gombe Health Summit was Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s approval of the CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures for all health workers in the state, effective November 2025.
With an estimated financial implication of N250 million monthly (N3 billion annually), the move is a strategic investment in human capital.
“This commitment,” the Governor declared, “comes with a call to all health workers to match our efforts with renewed dedication, productivity, and professionalism.”
His words reflect a deep understanding that no healthcare system can thrive without a motivated and well-supported workforce.
Apart from the Federal Medical Centre, Kumo and the 1000- student capacity state-of- -the-art School of Nursing Sciences, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, also commissioned the 100-bed Mother and Child Specialist Hospital, named in her honour, a flagship project under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative to improve maternal and child health.
In the same week, the state launched the Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Scheme (SEMSAS), offering residents 48 hours of free emergency care, ensuring that no one dies simply because they cannot pay.
Commending Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s leadership, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described Gombe as “a model for health system strengthening in Nigeria.”
He noted that the state’s reforms and projects are in line with the Federal Government’s renewed drive to modernize healthcare delivery nationwide.
From the upgrade of the Snakebite Treatment and Research Centre in Kaltungo into a regional hub for research and anti-venom production, to the Ture Balam PHC, which now offers 24-hour service and records higher maternal deliveries, the impact of Gombe State’s health revolution is visible and measurable across Gombe State.
In recognition of these strides, the Federal Government presented the state with a fresh consignment of medical equipment, essential medicines, and commodities to further reinforce service delivery at the primary level.
What was once a struggling system has become a model of innovation, efficiency, and compassion. Great leaders, it is said, are remembered not for what they inherit but for what they build.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya inherited a broken system, and in just a few years, he has built a legacy that generations will celebrate.
The great harvest of health projects in Gombe is the product of vision, planning, and purposeful leadership.
