Borno State on Wednesday received a total sum of $1.2 million as the best-performing state in the country in the Leadership Challenge, a flagship programme initiated to revamp the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy in Nigeria.
According to the Organisers of the Award, the initiative was aimed at recognising and honour the exceptional leadership of State Governors who have made significant investments in Primary Health Care, ultimately transforming the lives of women, girls and children across the nation.
As a reward for the feat, Borno State got $700,000 for emerging as the overall best performing State and an additional sum of $500,000 for emerging as Winner in the North-East best performing zonal awards category.
In the same vein, the sum of $500,000 was given to each of the following states: Kwara for North Central, Jigawa for North-West, Ebonyi for South East, Rivers for South-South and Ondo for South West.
The first runner-ups in each zone that got $400,000 each are Federal Capital Territory for North-Central, Bauchi for North East, Zamfara for North West, Abia for South East, Edo for South-South and Ogun for South West.
According to the Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate 13 States got awarding prizes totalling $6.1 million.
She said the awards carry not only prestige but also a deep appreciation for the commitment and positive impact that the recognized governors and their state administrations have had in their respective states.
Munduate, who reflected on the journey that led to the award, said: “So it was November 2019, where the Nigerian governors were hosted in Seattle by visionaries Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
“This historical gathering led to the creation of the primary healthcare leadership challenge. And this is an initiative organized by the Nigerian Governors Forum, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and UNICEF, with the generous support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
“The challenge aimed to enhanced governors commitment to human capital development and primary health care, mobilize state resources, promote accountability and also to innovate for gender specific health outcomes.
“As you can see, it has been a long journey, and tonight, eagerly anticipate the announcement of the challenge winners. We will be awarding prices totaling $6.1 million. The best performing state in the country will receive $700,000, while each zone winner will be awarded $500,000 and the first runner ups in each zone will receive $400,000.
“These awards highlight the value placed on progress made towards primary health care and will be used by the winning states to further strengthen their existing efforts and initiatives for primary health care.
In his response on behalf of the winner, the Governor of Borno, Babagana Zulum, thanked the challenge partners, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Dangote Foundation, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the UNICEF, for the awards and assured that they will do everything possible to ensure that primary health care system is enhanced through effective community participation, inter-sectoral coordination, appropriate technology and support mechanisms to all services.
He said: “I want to assure you this award is not only for the winners, it is award for all of us so that collectively, we can promote affordable healthcare delivery systems in Nigeria. I want to assure you that we shall do everything possible to promote health objectives of establishing healthcare primary health care in Nigeria, which is to bring health care closer to do community.
“We shall do everything possible to ensure that primary health care system is enhanced through effective community participation, through effective inter-sectoral coordination, through effective appropriate technology and indeed, through support mechanisms to all services and therefore, once again, on behalf the awardees I want to convey our deep appreciation to the challenge partners and to assure you all that we will judiciously and meticulously use the funds that were given to us in order to promote affordable, efficient and effective health care delivery systems in our respective states to the glory of God and to the benefit of humanity.”
