Zamfara clinches $500,000 prize for performance in primary healthcare

By : Ifeanyichukwu Nwannah

Date: 13 December 2025 11:38am WAT

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zamfara dauda lawal Sanitation

zamfara dauda lawal Sanitation

Zamfara State has emerged as the best-performing state in the North-West zone of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge.

The state was announced the winner during an award night held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre on Friday.

A statement by the Governor’s spokesman, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) launched the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge in 2022, with a commitment to building a health system that delivers quality care regardless of geography or circumstance.

According to the statement, the PHC Leadership Challenge Fund is designed to promote sustainable healthcare financing and encourage Nigeria’s 36 states to compete in improving their primary healthcare services.

“Zamfara State has won 500,000 USD as the best performing State in the North West zone in the Primary Healthcare Leadership Challenge.

“The award presented to Governor Dauda Lawal is a joint project of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Dangote Foundation, and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).

“This clearly demonstrates that Governor Lawal’s declaration of a state of emergency in the Zamfara health sector is producing the intended positive outcomes.

“Zamfara and other leading states from North East, North Central, South East, South South, and South West shared a total of $6.1 million through the third edition of the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Awards.”

The statement added that the award reflects the state’s growing commitment to strengthening its primary healthcare system and improving health outcomes for residents across Zamfara.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Malam Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada, is representing Zamfara State at the ongoing Sixth Global Summit of the Strong Cities Network, taking place in Toronto, Canada.

The summit, themed “Stronger Together: Forging Safer, Connected, Thriving Cities in a Changing World,” brings together mayors, top senior government officials, civil society organisations, and global partners to advance city-led solutions to counter hate, extremism, online harms, and social polarisation, while strengthening community safety, inclusion, and resilience.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the SSG office and made available to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital.

According to the statement, the event serves as a platform for sharing experiences, forging strategic partnerships, and gaining insights that will inform Zamfara State’s ongoing security, social cohesion, and development initiatives, especially the Urban Renewal Program.

Zamfara’s participation underscores the commitment of the State Government, under the leadership of Governor Dauda Lawal, to international cooperation and whole-of-society approaches to peacebuilding.

“It also reflects the government’s dedication to promoting inclusive, resilient communities aligned with global best practices in preventing violent extremism and safeguarding social cohesion.

“Malam Nakwada is leveraging the summit to engage with stakeholders, with the aim of adapting global best practices to suit Zamfara’s unique context, while also showcasing the state’s local model.”

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