GOMBE State has been named among only seven states in Nigeria that implemented over 80 per cent of their 2024 health budget, according to the BudgIT 2025 State of States Report released on Tuesday in Abuja.
The report, produced by BudgIT, a leading civic tech organisation that promotes fiscal transparency and accountability, ranked Gombe alongside Yobe, Ekiti, Lagos, Edo, Delta and Bauchi States as the best-performing states in health budget implementation.
According to BudgIT, Nigerian states collectively budgeted N1.32 trillion for health in 2024 but only spent N816.64 billion, representing a 61.9 per cent national performance average.
However, Gombe and six others distinguished themselves by achieving over 80 per cent implementation of their health sector allocations, a mark of effective governance and fiscal discipline.
The report rated Yobe State as the top performer with 98.2 per cent implementation, followed closely by other states, including Gombe, which has in recent years demonstrated strong commitment to strengthening its healthcare delivery system.
Gombe State’s impressive performance is a reflection of the healthcare reforms and sustained investments of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s administration, which has consistently prioritized health sector funding and accountability.
From the revitalization of primary healthcare centres across all 114 wards to the upgrade of general hospitals and the establishment of the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth) and its sister institutions, alongside the recently launched State Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Scheme (SEMSAS), Gombe State has firmly positioned itself as a pacesetter in efficient and people-centred health governance in Northern Nigeria.
BudgIT’s Global Director, Oluseun Onigbinde, noted that while states have recorded increased revenues from federal allocations, only a few, such as Gombe and its peers, have demonstrated the capacity to channel these funds effectively into critical sectors like healthcare.
He stressed that the report serves as “a mirror reflecting the choices our state governments make, the paths they follow and the opportunities they seize or leave behind.”
Onigbinde urged state governments to sustain fiscal accountability and ensure that budgeted funds translate into measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare, especially in health and education.
Also speaking, Uche Amaonwu, Country Director of the Gates Foundation, commended BudgIT for its decade-long effort in promoting transparency and for helping track fiscal performance across Nigeria’s 36 states.
He also applauded reform-driven states like Gombe for taking ownership of performance and aligning their budgets with human capital priorities, noting that “fiscal health is human health, and governance, when transparent and accountable, is the bridge that connects both.”
