Sokoto: Encomiums For Aliyu’s Health Impact

By Shuaibu Abubakar

It’s not everyday that international development partners openly pour encomiums on a Nigerian leader. This rare fit is reserved for leaders who made the conscious efforts to put the health of the people first, and where the impact is almost instant. In this situation, the people begin to live again, as once comatose hospitals come back to life. Health facilities that once existed only in name begin to experience a transformation never before believed possible.

That is the quiet revolution unfolding in Sokoto State under Governor Ahmad Aliyu and that’s why he has been receiving commendations from international organisations. In Sokoto, what used to be a grim landscape of dilapidated structures, absent personnel, and empty wards is gradually giving way to something more reassuring. We now have functional hospitals that inspire confidence, and primary healthcare centres that now serve as genuine first points of care that people can trust and rely on.

Unlike the Sokoto of yesterday, where many public health facilities had become shadows of their intended purpose. Where health facilities stood, but healthcare was nonexistent. Where equipment was scarce, and where available, often obsolete. Where health workers were either too few or unevenly distributed, leaving rural communities especially vulnerable. The result, under such circumstances was a predictable system that could neither prevent nor respond effectively to health challenges, particularly among women and children, where the grim numbers piled up.

Today, that narrative is being rewritten through deliberate policy choices anchored on the state government’s 9-SMART agenda on health. It is this framework that is driving a coordinated push not just to renovate structures, but to revive an entire system. And unlike the selective interventions of the past, this one is beginning to show signs of depth and sustainability.

One of the most telling indicators of this shift is the growing confidence of development partners in the state’s health sector. Institutions such as National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Solina Group, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and African Field Epidemiology Network have not only taken note, they have openly commended the state’s commitment to healthcare reform.

Such endorsements are not handed out lightly. They are often the result of measurable actions. They are an endorsement of infrastructure upgrades, improved funding for immunisation programmes, and a clearer policy direction. In the case of Sokoto, these efforts appear to be converging in a way that signals seriousness of purpose.

This commitment was further underscored during the 8th Sokoto State Government Council on Health Meeting that brought together a high-level policymakers, development partners, and health sector stakeholders. The meeting was a working session aimed at positioning the state at the forefront of efforts to accelerate Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria.

While it was organised by the State Ministry of Health, it was the collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) that made the meeting which provided a platform to review progress and refine strategies under the health component of the 9-SMART Innovation Agenda for significant. The emphasis, in the end, was clearly to strengthen primary healthcare, improve service delivery, and ensure that even the most vulnerable populations are not left behind.

And it was also at this meeting that one of the most significant announcements was made. UNFPA committed over ₦4.6 billion in funding for healthcare delivery in 2026. Beyond the headline figure, however, was an initiative that speaks directly to one of Nigeria’s most persistent health challenges; maternal and child mortality.

Through a newly unveiled Community Midwifery Scholarship and Bonding Scheme, 500 young women from hard-to-reach communities will receive full scholarships to study midwifery. According to UNFPA’s Assistant Representative, Audu Alayande, 250 beneficiaries will be trained this year, with another 250 to follow next year. Upon completion, they will be deployed directly to rural primary healthcare centres. The government confirm that these health workers will be at their rural posting for at least two years after graduation.

This is more than a training programme; it is a targeted intervention designed to bridge a critical gap, the shortage of skilled birth attendants in underserved areas. By linking training to deployment, the scheme avoids a common pitfall where trained personnel cluster in urban centres, leaving rural communities exposed.

Complementing this is the state government’s own effort to address workforce shortages. Governor Aliyu has confirmed the recruitment and deployment of over 1,500 nurses and midwives to underserved communities. This move is backed by a two-year mandatory rural posting policy, designed to ensure a more equitable distribution of healthcare workers across the state.

Policies like this often face resistance, especially from health workers who prefer urban posting, but they are necessary in contexts where urban bias has long undermined rural healthcare delivery. To make the policy workable, the state has introduced incentives aimed at encouraging compliance. The idea behind this initiative is an acknowledgment that policy must be matched with practical support.

Beyond personnel, the state is also investing in essential medical supplies. The distribution of sexual, reproductive, and other essential drugs to all 23 local government areas is a critical step in addressing maternal and child health challenges. These supplies have been targeted at high-burden primary healthcare centres, where the need is most acute.

The involvement of the First Lady, Fatima Aliyu, in this aspect of the intervention adds another layer of visibility and advocacy, particularly around issues affecting women and children. While symbolism alone cannot drive change, it often helps sustain attention on critical social issues, especially in communities where awareness can be as important as access.

Taken together, these efforts point to a government that is not merely reacting to health challenges but attempting to anticipate and systematically address them. The focus on primary healthcare is especially significant. Globally, strong primary healthcare systems are the backbone of effective health delivery, serving as the first line of defence against disease and the foundation for achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Of course, it is still early days. Healthcare reform is a long-term endeavour, and sustaining momentum will require consistency in funding, monitoring, and policy execution. The gains recorded so far must be protected from the familiar pitfalls of political transitions and bureaucratic inertia. This is where the people of Sokoto must make a statement at the polls, and return Gov. Aliyu for another term.

But for now, there is enough evidence to suggest that Sokoto State is moving in a direction that prioritises people over optics. The transformation of once-neglected facilities into centres of hope, the deliberate investment in human resources, and the strategic partnerships with global health institutions all point to a model that, if sustained, could redefine healthcare delivery in the state.

Clearly, this is a signal that the state government remains fully committed to the protection of women and children. And in a country where healthcare often competes with other priorities, Aliyu’s commitment is not just commendable, it is necessary. Yet, everything crumbles if he’s not re-elected. The people of Sokoto clearly have their jobs cut out for them. Vote for continuity and progress, or return to the days of ghost healthcare. The choice is theirs!

Abubakar writes from Sokoto.