Sule Receives Nurses’ Most Friendly Governor Award

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has been honoured with the award of Nurses Most Friendly Governor in Nigeria by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), a recognition that underscores the giant strides his administration has recorded in the healthcare sector since coming to office in 2019.

The award was presented to Governor Sule at the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation West African Regional Conference (CNMF) 2026, held at the International Conference Centre, Area 10, Garki, Abuja.

The conference, themed “Towards Excellence: Nurses and Midwives, Working Together Towards Excellence in Education, Practice and Regulation,” brought together nursing and midwifery leaders from across the Commonwealth.

Receiving the award with humility, Governor Sule dedicated the recognition to the nurses and midwives of Nasarawa State, describing them as the true backbone of the state’s healthcare system.

The Governor said the award belonged not to him personally, but to the government and people of Nasarawa State, and most especially to the health workers who serve daily with dedication and compassion, often under difficult conditions.

He used the occasion to highlight the wide-ranging reforms his administration has pursued in the health sector, recalling that when his government assumed office, the state’s healthcare system was in urgent need of strengthening, with weak infrastructure, inadequate staffing, poor financing, and low public confidence.

His administration, he said, set out to change that narrative with a firm focus on equity, accessibility, quality, and sustainability.

A major part of that effort has been the revitalisation of primary healthcare centres across the state, ensuring that each of the 147 wards has at least one functional PHC facility.

The government also strengthened the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency to improve coordination and service delivery at the grassroots level.

Beyond primary care, the administration has remodelled key general hospitals and upgraded selected PHCs to general hospitals to broaden access to healthcare. Among such facilities is the Azara General Hospital.

The government also facilitated the establishment of the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Lafia and donated the Dr. Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia to a federal university, ensuring its immediate takeoff.

With this, Nasarawa State now boasts at least one tertiary health institution in each of its three senatorial zones — the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, the Teaching Hospital in Lafia, and the Specialist Hospital in Akwanga.

On the critical issue of health workforce, Governor Sule announced that his administration has employed over 600 nurses and midwives into the state civil service in the current cycle alone, with more employment ongoing at the new Dr. Araf Specialist Hospital in Akwanga.

He also disclosed that he has directed the immediate employment of all fresh graduates of the Nasarawa State College of Nursing, with about 290 graduates currently being processed for absorption into the state civil service.

The Governor further highlighted efforts to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending through the strengthening of the Nasarawa State Health Insurance Agency, with over 252,000 residents, particularly pregnant women, children, and the elderly, so far enrolled into the scheme, granting them access to affordable healthcare and freeing them from the burden of financial distress when seeking medical attention.

Governor Sule also spoke about the establishment of the Nasarawa State Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency, set up to centralise and regulate the procurement, storage, and distribution of medicines across the state, ensuring that quality drugs remain available and affordable in all health facilities.

The Governor acknowledged the support of development partners, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other agencies, as well as the private sector and civil society, in making these achievements possible.

He was, however, particularly emphatic in expressing gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose bold economic reforms and increased fiscal allocation to states, local governments, and the federal government have provided the financial backbone that has enabled Nasarawa State to carry out these landmark investments in health and human development.

“I must express our appreciation to Mr. President, whose dynamic economic policy reforms have made it possible to carry out all the good work we are doing,” Governor Sule stated.

The conference was also addressed by the Minister of Health, Professor Ali Pate, who represented President Tinubu.

The NANNM President, Mr. Haruna Mamman, also spoke, commending Governor Sule and other awardees for their commitment to the nursing profession and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

This award is yet another testament to Governor Sule’s unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of the people of Nasarawa State.