Nasarawa Wins $500,000, Emerges North Central Champion at PHC Leadership Challenge Awards
Nasarawa State has on Friday recorded a major milestone in its health sector transformation, emerging as the Best Performing State in the North Central Zone at the 2025 Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge Awards, winning a $500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars) prize in recognition of its outstanding performance in primary healthcare delivery.
The announcement was made by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, OON, at the PHC Leadership Challenge Award ceremony held in Abuja.
The remarkable achievement is a clear testament to the visionary leadership and unwavering commitment of His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, whose administration has continued to prioritise people-centred governance through sustained investments in the health sector.
The PHC Leadership Challenge, a flagship national initiative established in 2019 following the Seattle Declaration, is designed to strengthen governors’ ownership and accountability for primary healthcare outcomes across Nigeria.
The programme is implemented through a strong partnership involving the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
In the 2025 evaluation, Nasarawa State ranked first in the North Central Zone and also recorded the best national performance on Indicator 12, reflecting exceptional progress in service coverage and mortality reduction. The state also demonstrated excellence on Indicator 8, underscoring the strength and reliability of its primary healthcare data and reporting systems.
Reacting to the achievement, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, described the award as a well-deserved recognition of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule’s bold reforms and strategic investments in the health sector, noting that the administration’s commitment to accountability, innovation, and partnership has transformed primary healthcare delivery across the state.
Dr. Gwamna further applauded development partners, primary healthcare stakeholders, and the entire health workforce in the state for their dedication and resilience, affirming that the award will serve as further motivation to consolidate gains and expand access to quality healthcare for all residents of Nasarawa State.
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