This award, coordinated by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF, acknowledges Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s initiatives in the health sector over the past year, aligning with the MORE agenda of his administration.
Present at the award ceremony were Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, who also serves as the Governor of Kwara State. They were there to witness the presentation of the prize and funds to officials from the Delta State Government.
The Delta State Commissioner for Health, Joseph Onojaeme, along with Isaac Akpoveta, the Director-General of the Delta State Contributory Health Commission (DSCHC), accepted the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori.
Initiated in 2019, this award aims to enhance performance at the Primary Health Care level, making healthcare more accessible to grassroots communities.
This marks the first occasion that Delta State has been recognized in any category since the awards began, as it had not previously received any prize money.
After accepting the award on behalf of Governor Oborevwori, Mr. Onojaeme stated that this recognition demonstrates the effectiveness of the administration’s MORE agenda and its positive outcomes.
He emphasized that Governor Oborevwori’s commitment to revitalizing the health sector is evident, noting that the recent approval for the renovation of over 150 Primary Health Care centers likely contributed to the state receiving this award.
Delta State was nominated for the award following an evaluation by a technical committee tasked with assessing the condition of PHCs across all 36 states and Abuja, the federal capital.
The committee included delegates from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, and the United Nations Food Programme (UNFPA), among other organizations.