The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), in partnership with Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCD) UNICEF, with support from the Gates Foundation, has announced the third edition of the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Awards.
The Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, billed to take place on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., is a national initiative that rewards outstanding leadership by state governors in strengthening primary health care delivery.
The challenge is rooted in the Seattle Declaration of 2019, unanimously adopted by all 36 state governors, and serves as a catalyst for stronger governance, improved financing, and greater accountability in the primary health care sector.
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum emphasized the significance of the platform, noting that it “has become a beacon of what strong, accountable leadership can achieve in our health system. It celebrates results, rewards performance, and ultimately delivers better care for our people.”
The PHC Leadership Challenge aims to fast-track commitments under the Seattle Declaration, reinforce political ownership of PHC outcomes, improve transparency, promote peer learning, and track state progress on commitments outlined in the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative Compact.
Governors are assessed using a Performance Monitoring Framework jointly developed by PHC stakeholders and endorsed by all states through the Honourable Commissioners for Health. The PMF covers governance and leadership, financing, quality of care, evidence use, and sustainability, guided by the MAMMS principles. It also incorporates the presidential indicators of the NHSRII.
A total of 13 awards will be presented: Two awards for each geopolitical zone, covering Best Performing and Most Improved States; one national award for the Overall Best Performing State; and the award fund for this edition is US$6.1 million. Winning states will reinvest their allocations directly into strengthening PHC systems.
The independent judging panel is made up of eminent public health professionals, the academia, religious and traditional leaders, media and the civil society organisations. These team review the assessment conducted by independent verification agents recruited via United Nations rigorous recruitment system.
The first edition, held on May 17, 2023, saw Borno State emerge as the national champion. Other zonal winners included Kwara, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Ondo.
The second edition, held on December 12, 2024, produced Anambra State as the national champion. Winners in the six zones included Anambra, Rivers, Osun, Yobe, Kaduna, and Kwara, with runners up from Abia, Delta, Lagos, Gombe, Jigawa, and the Federal Capital Territory. Gombe State also received a special innovation award.
“This is not just an award ceremony. It is a celebration of impact, accountability, and a commitment to the health and wellbeing of every Nigerian,” said AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum
Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi
Director, Media and Strategic Communications
NGF
