Borno State has claimed the prize as the best-performing state in primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria. The state was awarded $1.2 million on Wednesday evening in the Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge, aimed at rejuvenating the Primary Health Care Under One Roof policy in Nigeria by encouraging the commitment of state governors to primary healthcare funding.
At the event held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Borno State received $700,000 for emerging as the best overall performer in the contest and another $500,000, which was the price for emerging winner in the Northeast region in the best-performing zonal awards category.
UNICEF’s representative, Christian Munduate, revealed that a total of $6.1 million was awarded to 13 states for the exceptional leadership of governors who had made significant investments in primary healthcare across Nigeria. She praised the governors for their accomplishments and described the awards as a call to further strengthen existing initiatives for primary healthcare.
The Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge started in November 2019, following a gathering of Nigerian governors in Seattle. They were hosted by the visionaries Bill Gates and Aliko Dangote, and the historical meeting resulted in the challenge’s creation. The initiative is organised by UNICEF, the Nigerian Governors Forum, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
The UNICEF representative emphasized that the award was intended to make primary healthcare more accessible to women, girls, and children in Nigeria, enhance leadership oversight management, and delivery of essential health services at the sub-national level.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State expressed his gratitude during the event and promised to build on the successes already achieved. He reaffirmed that the award was not only for the winners. Instead, it was for all Nigerians so that affordable healthcare delivery systems could be promoted in the country.
In conclusion, the Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge was much more than just monetary values for the winners; it served as a motivation for the country’s governors to increase investments in primary healthcare aligned with the Seattle Declaration and the Primary Healthcare Under One Roof Strategy and to close gender gaps and remove barriers in their states.
