Yobe Wins National Primary Healthcare Award, Bags $1.2m

Damaturu, Nigeria – Yobe State emerges as Nigeria’s 2025 National Champion in the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge, securing a $1.2 million grant for excellence in grassroots healthcare delivery.

The award follows the state’s recent Leadership Excellence Award in Equitable Healthcare and Social Welfare and is jointly managed by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), UNICEF, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

In a statement on Friday, Mamman Mohammed, Director-General of Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni, says the recognition reflects sustained leadership commitment to functional and accessible primary healthcare centres statewide.

“The award underscores the priority attention the Buni administration gives to primary healthcare delivery and consistent efforts to strengthen health systems at the grassroots,” the statement says.

Introduced three years ago, the challenge assesses states on leadership, innovation, equity and outcomes. Yobe clinched the North-East zonal title again in 2025 before winning the national prize, having also topped the zone last year.

Organisers say the $1.2 million will support health-system strengthening, improve service delivery and expand access to quality primary healthcare across communities.

About the Author

Hussaini Ibrahim

Author

Hussaini Ibrahim is a journalist with Africa Health Report (AHR), covering Northern Nigeria with a focus on public health, the environment, and development. He holds a B.A. (Ed) in English from Northwest University, Kano, and brings several years of professional reporting experience. Passionate about accountability and social justice, he specialises in people-centred stories that expose the impact of policies on communities while amplifying the voices of those often excluded from decision-making. X (Twitter): @Mohamme85500159

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