Borno wins $1.2 million healthcare prize

Borno State, on Wednesday, emerged the best performing state in the country in the maiden Primary Healthcare Leadership Awards (PHLA), a flagship programme to help revamp the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy in the country.

Organised by a joint partnership of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dangote Foundation, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), the programme seeks to maximise the commitment of governors to promoting progressive increase in Primary Health Care (PHC) funding.

Borno State got $700,000 for emerging overall best performing state and $500,000 for emerging winner in the Northeast in the best performing zonal awards category.

Other winners that from other zones that got $500,000 are 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 (FCT) 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 prices totaling $6.1 million, in recognition and honour of exceptional leadership of governors who have made significant investments in Primary Health Care, ultimately transforming lives of women, girls and children across the nation.

She said the awards carry prestige and a deep appreciation for the commitment and positive impact that the recognised governors and their state administrations have had in their respective states.

Munduate, who reflected on the journey that led to the award, said: “The Nigerian governors were hosted in Seattle by Bill Gates and Alhaji Aliko Dangote in November 2019.

“This historical gathering led to creation of the primary health care leadership challenge. And this is an initiative organised by NGF, 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.