When Nasarawa’s PHC Development Stride Is Recognised, Appreciated

Governor Abdullahi Sule has been exceeding all expectations in various sectors of the state’s governance structure with indelible footprints that have continued to elicit recognition and commendations at both national and global levels.

In the health sector where the governor has, within the annual budget circle, injected resources far above the global benchmark, Sule’s Nasarawa is now a reference point for other states to draw inspiration.

Driven by the popular maxim, “health is wealth,” Governor Sule on assumption of office, set to work by turning around a sector that was near comatose. To underscore his administration’s resolve to deliver quality and affordable healthcare services to the people of the state, Governor Sule invested heavily in upgrading infrastructure, building new healthcare centres, providing drugs and other consumables, and training and recruiting more health personnel among other major reforms that have today put the sector on the pedestal as one of the best.

The achievements recorded in the health sector in the state, so far, are undoubtedly testaments to the governor’s commitment to meeting the health needs of the people, as manifested in the operations of the ministry and its agencies, as clear as sunrise from the East. And as expected, the accolades have been pouring from key partners including world top  management institutions.

In October 2024, the state received a major pat on the back by no less institution than the World Health Organization (WHO), which designated it as the best in the health sector indicators. The endorsement which came through the organisation’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, was no doubt a morale booster for Governor Sule whose commitment to the welfare of his people has been unparalleled.

The apex organization reechoed this when it attributed the successes recorded in the state’s health sector to the leadership and commitment provided by Governor Sule. It specifically praised the state for always coming top on immunization performance chart, stressing that Governor Sule’s hard work and support for the health sector explains why it is only Nasarawa State out of the entire 36 states and Abuja, that is able to implement the integrated supplemental immunization on schedule.

The 2025 Best PHC Leadership Award As Testament To A Performer

Another major recognition for Governor Sule’s massive transformation in the health sector came more recently in form of a challenge fought gallantly and won on behalf of the state by its Primary HealthCare Development Agency headed by Dr. Usman Iskilu Saleh, the Executive Secretary. For the Agency and Governor Sule, 12th day of December, 2024 was a glorious day when the state emerged Champion in the North Central at the Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge, outperforming its peers within the zone in an independently verified assessment.

The PHC Leadership Challenge is a collaborative initiative designed to incentivize and recognize exceptional leadership in the delivery of Primary Healthcare (PHC) services across Nigeria. It was initiated in Nigeria in 2019 after the country’s 36 governors signed the Seattle Declaration, committing to a vision where good health would not depend on chance or location. It is being implemented by the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) in partnership with the UNICEF and National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), and supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF). It was conceptualised to build the capacity of states to deliver high-quality and sustainable health services to all citizens, through the elevation of Primary Healthcare on the political agenda, promotion of  accountability, and driving  of measurable improvements in health outcomes.

According to the initiative, 13 awards are to be won annually, which are, the Best Performing and Most Improved State and a runner-up in each of the regions and the National Recognition for the Overall Best Performing State.

The maiden edition of the Gala/Awards night was held on the 17th of May, 2023, while Kaduna State was recognised as the best-performing state in the northwest region at the 2024 Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, earning it a $500,000 award for exceptional healthcare investments and leadership.

The second edition of the award was the eye-opener which spurred Nasarawa State into action. When the executive secretary presented the proposal before the State Executive Council of his resolve to contest for the 2025 edition, Governor Sule was elated with the vision and challenge amid discordant tunes from few members who expressed skepticism over the ability of the state to scale the hurdles.

Undaunted and encouraged by the governor through approvals of what are required for the state to succeed, the agency went to work. The agency and its chief executive did prove the skeptics wrong; the independent assessors who came visiting months later were not only surprised by the spate of development in the third tier of healthcare delivery across the state, but rated the state high.

The assessment measured governance, financing, service delivery and accountability within PHC systems.

The framework tracked progress across key domains aligned with the Seattle Declaration commitments signed by governors in 2019, including governance and leadership, financing, quality of care, human resources for health, data use, evidence and sustainability.

The verified findings were reviewed by an Independent Judging Panel (IJP), comprising public health experts, academics, civil society representatives, traditional and religious leaders, and media professionals, before final endorsement by the PHC Leadership Challenge Steering Committee. The steering committee is chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, with membership drawn from the NGF, NPHCDA and key development partners.

When the executive secretary whispered the news of the state’s feat and award selection to Governor Sule, he was elated with the development and promised to personally attend the ceremony in Abuja. At the event, the state was recognized for high performance in drugs indicators (coverage of essential services), reduced mortality, and strong data quality and reporting systems. It netted $500,000 USD for the outstanding performance which it intended to use to further enhancing the subsector.

On the whole, the award highlights Governor Sule‘s and Dr. Saleh’s impactful leadership and commitment to enhancing primary healthcare services. Under their respective guidance, Nasarawa excelled in key performance indicators, achieving the best national performance on Indicator 12, which measures the coverage of essential health services, and excelling in data quality assessments. These are significant breakthroughs that propelled the state into limelight with sustainable healthcare delivery foundation that ensures unfettered access to medicare across the grassroots.