Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has officially declared the opening of the Gombe Health Summit.
In his comments, he praised Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his bold and visionary reforms, which, according to her, have repositioned the state’s health sector as a model for the nation.
The first lady described the health policies of the administration of Inuwa Yahaya as a transformator and pioneer.
He pointed out the expansion of primary health centers, the modernization of hospitals in the three senatorial districts and the innovative approach to address child malnutrition as clear evidence of the governor’s commitment to build a viable and sustainable health system.
“What I have learned today is really impressive. Even Bill Gates once attest to the problem resolution of the Gombe State and his commitment to the results. We see that here again we are proud of what Governor Inuwa Yahaya is doing. I think Mr. President is equally proud,” he said.
Senator Tinubu also praised the governor for his recent decision to improve the salaries of health workers, describing the gesture as a transparent and responsible leadership brand. She expressed the hope that the governor’s legacies in the health sector will remain in the coming years.
In his opening speech, Governor Inuwa Yahaya recalled the difficult situation that his administration fulfilled in 2019, when the health sector did not have infrastructure funds, infrastructure staff, excessive staff and health indicators well below the national average.
He explained that at that time, only 3.5 percent of the state budget was assigned to health, while the ABUJA statement recommended 15 percent.
According to him, access to medical care depended largely on the ability to pay, and the absence of adequate supervision and coordination left the fragmented and ineffective system.
Given these realities, he declared an emergency state in the health sector in 2019, a step that marked the beginning of what he described as a new era of transformation.
He pointed out that the results of the demographic and national health survey of 2023 talk about the success of these reforms, with an immunization coverage that increases from 18 percent in 2018 to 49 percent in 2023, the DPT3 coverage increases from 26 to 60 percent, deliveries by the birth attendees that improve from 21 to 38 percent, and the use of modern contraceptives by women of modern women The age of age of 16 and 30 percent.
The governor also highlighted the historical achievements, including the revitalization of 228 Primary Medical Care Centers throughout the State, each equipped to provide 24 -hour solar energy services, wells and personnel neighborhoods; the recruitment and deployment of hundreds of health workers for unattended communities; the remodeling of general hospitals in Kumo, Bajaga and Kaltungo; and the transformation of the Gombe Specialist Hospital, who now trains the officers and residents of the House of Representatives into accredited postgraduate programs.
He also pointed out the construction of an ultramodern hospital of 200 beds in Kumo, which since then has been a federal medical center by the federal government.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also spoke of institutional reforms, including the establishment of a hospital management board and the introduction of biometric assistance systems, which discovered 440 ghost workers and saved the State to more than N4.5 billion.
He observed the establishment of the Gombe State contributory health scheme, which has registered more than 380,000 residents and provided coverage to more than 100,000 vulnerable people, and the creation of Gopharma, a pharmaceutical company designed to make quality medications affordable and, in the long term, to produce medications locally.
In an important announcement at the summit, the governor approved the immediate implementation of freezing and degradation salary structures for all health workers in the state of Gombe, as of November 2025.
He explained that this intervention, at a cost of N250 million per month or N3 billion annually, represents a direct investment in the welfare of health professionals.
“This commitment comes to a call to all health workers to coincide with our efforts with renewed commitment, productivity and professionalism in service to our people,” he said.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, praised the moment of the summit, describing it as aligned with the current investments of the federal government in the sector.
He said that the reforms implemented in Gombe have already produced measurable results in reducing maternal morbidity and infant mortality, while strengthening infrastructure and labor.
Previously in his welcome speech, the Secretary of the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, described the summit as a reflection of the priority governor Inuwa Yahaya is located in medical care.
He stressed that the administration has successfully repositioned the sector to meet people’s health needs in a sustainable and holistic way.
The highlight of the Opening Session was the presentation of the Strategic Strategic Development Plan of the Gombe 2025–2030 Health Force for the First Lady.
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