Gombe
Gombe Shines Again, Ranks Second in Northeast at 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge
Gombe Shines Again, Ranks Second in Northeast at 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge
By Auwal Ahmad Umar
Gombe State has reaffirmed its growing reputation as a pacesetter in primary healthcare delivery, emerging second best in the Northeast at the 2025 Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, ahead of four other states in the zone.
The strong showing earned the state a $400,000 reward in recognition of its sustained efforts to strengthen grassroots healthcare services. The award was presented at the 2025 PHC Leadership Challenge Awards Night held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Vice President Kashim Shettima chaired the high-profile ceremony, which brought together governors, health sector leaders, and development partners from across the country.
Gombe’s latest feat builds on its impressive record from the previous year, when the state made history by winning the PHC Leadership Challenge Innovation Award—the first since the program was introduced—while also finishing second in the Northeast, a performance that equally attracted a $400,000 prize. The back-to-back recognition highlights the state’s consistency and long-term commitment to improving primary healthcare delivery.
The PHC Leadership Challenge is driven by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and UNICEF, with backing from international partners including the Gates Foundation and the Aliko Dangote Foundation. The initiative encourages states to strengthen governance, financing, service delivery, sustainability, and health outcomes in line with the Seattle Declaration endorsed by all 36 governors in 2019.
Represented at the event by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Vice President Shettima congratulated Gombe and other winning states while commending governors nationwide for demonstrating leadership and political commitment that have translated into visible gains in the health sector.
He stressed that the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is determined to reposition the health sector through increased budgetary allocation and far-reaching reforms, noting that sustained investment in health remains critical to national development. The Vice President also underscored the urgency of tackling lingering challenges around access to quality and affordable healthcare for millions of Nigerians.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the PHC Leadership Challenge was designed to drive performance through healthy competition among states, with the ultimate goal of improving the well-being of Nigerians.
Speaking after the ceremony, Gombe State Deputy Governor Manassah Daniel Jatau, who represented Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described the award as a clear affirmation of the administration’s deliberate and sustained investment in the health sector.
Since assuming office in 2019, Governor Inuwa Yahaya has placed healthcare at the center of his development agenda, beginning with the declaration of a state of emergency in the sector. That decision led to the rehabilitation of at least one fully functional primary healthcare center in each of the state’s 114 wards, with several wards now boasting multiple facilities. Secondary health institutions have also been extensively upgraded to cope with rising demand.
Beyond infrastructure, the administration has rolled out far-reaching reforms, established critical health agencies, implemented forward-looking policies, and invested heavily in health workers. These efforts have expanded access to quality care, improved health outcomes, and positioned Gombe as a reference point in Nigeria’s push towards universal health coverage.
The state’s delegation to the awards ceremony included the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, and the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu.
APC Clears Inuwa Yahaya for Gombe North Senatorial Race
By Auwal Ahmad Umar
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Friday scaled through the screening process of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial Screening Committee, officially clearing the way for his bid to represent Gombe North Senatorial District in the forthcoming elections.
The APC Senatorial Screening Committee, chaired by Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, conducted the screening exercise at Plateau House in Abuja.
The exercise featured several sitting governors who sought reelection or contested for senatorial positions on the platform of the ruling APC.
Speaking during the exercise, Professor Yilwatda commended the governors for their contributions to governance and leadership, stressing that the party remained confident in their capacity and track record.
“As a party, we will continue to support all our sitting governors. There is no need to subject you to rigorous screening again, having previously undergone similar processes and served creditably in office,” he said.
The APC chairman further stated that Governor Inuwa Yahaya and other aspirants had met all constitutional and party requirements needed to contest the elections.
“Having satisfied all the necessary requirements, you are hereby requested to take a bow and go,” he added.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s appearance before the screening panel comes amid growing political momentum within the APC following his emergence as the party’s consensus candidate for the Gombe North Senatorial seat.
Political observers believe the governor is entering the contest with significant political influence, administrative experience and a performance record that has strengthened his support base across the senatorial district.
The governor, who has served two terms as governor of Gombe State, is widely credited with infrastructure development, healthcare reform, road construction, and rural development initiatives across the state.
Inuwa Yahaya Defends Gombe Projects, Says Government Focused on Grassroots Development
Committee of Provosts Conference Highlights Reform Agenda Honors Education Leaders
By Auwal Auwal, Gombe
The provost of the Federal College of Education, Gombe, has reiterated the need for strategic reforms in Nigeria’s teacher education system as stakeholders convened for the second Annual Conference of the Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education.
The conference brought together key policymakers and institutional heads at the National Commission for Colleges of Education headquarters in Abuja to chart a new direction for colleges of education nationwide.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Gombe-based provost aligned with the conference theme, which focused on integrating skill acquisition and entrepreneurship into teacher education.
He emphasized that colleges of education must transition from conventional academic institutions to innovation-driven centers capable of producing self-reliant graduates.
He noted that embedding vocational competencies alongside academic training would significantly enhance graduate employability and position the sub-sector as a catalyst for economic growth.
The conference also featured high-level participation from the Federal Ministry of Education, with the Minister of State, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, describing the reform agenda as a necessary response to evolving labor market demands. She stressed that aligning education with practical skills remains critical to national development.
In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of the NCCE, Angela Ajala, reinforced the Commission’s commitment to policies that promote entrepreneurship within teacher education. She maintained that colleges of education must be repositioned as engines of innovation and productivity.
The Chairman of the Committee of Provosts, Ali Adamu, described the conference as a strategic platform for advancing reforms and strengthening collaboration across institutions.
A major highlight of the event was the unveiling of a festschrift in honor of former NCCE Executive Secretary Okwelle Paulinus Chijioke, alongside a send-off ceremony recognizing 32 exiting and exited provosts for their contributions to the sector.
For the Provost of the Federal College of Education Gombe, the outcomes of the conference signal a clear shift towards a more responsive and economically relevant teacher education framework, with an emphasis on innovation, skills, and sustainable development.
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