A GLIMPSE AT MAIDEN GOMBE HEALTH SUMMIT

As part of the celebrations for its 29th anniversary, Gombe State will host the Maiden Gombe Health Summit. This important event is set for 2nd–3rd October 2025. It aims to highlight the significant progress made in the health sector under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya's leadership. More importantly, it seeks to establish a forward-looking approach for healthcare delivery in the state. The theme of the summit is eye-catching: Transforming the Health System in Gombe State: Accomplishment, Challenges, and the Next Frontier

The summit will proudly feature the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the Distinguished Special Guest of Honour. She will open the summit and inaugurate several key health facilities built by the Gombe State Government. These facilities will be handed over to the relevant institutions for sustainability. They include:

•⁠ ⁠The new Federal Medical Centre, Kumo,

•⁠ ⁠The ultra-modern College of Nursing Sciences, Gombe, and

•⁠ ⁠The SDG Women and Children Hospital, Malam Inna, which is named after the First Lady.

Beyond the official ceremonies, the summit will offer strong technical sessions with leading figures in Nigeria’s health sector. High-level panel discussions will address some of the most pressing healthcare issues today, including:

•⁠ ⁠Optimizing Human Resources for Health: Our Vision, Our Experience

•⁠ ⁠Financing Health in the Midst of Donor Funding Uncertainty: Threatening Sustainable Financing for Health

•⁠ ⁠Partnership and Collaboration in the Context of the Sector-wide Approach (SWAp): Maximizing Opportunities to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage Progress

Confirmed participants for the technical sessions include heavyweights from Nigeria’s health ecosystem:

•⁠ ⁠Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Honourable Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare

•⁠ ⁠Dr Habu Dahiru, Commissioner of Health, Gombe State

•⁠ ⁠Dr Isma'il Jibrin, CEO, Human Capital Development

•⁠ ⁠Dr Gafar Alowode, CEO, DGI Consult

•⁠ ⁠Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Authority

•⁠ ⁠Dr Simeon Onyemachi, Chairman, Forum of CEOs of State Social Health Insurance Agencies

•⁠ ⁠Dr Abubakar Musa, Executive Secretary, Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth

•⁠ ⁠Dr Abdulrahman Mohammed, Executive Secretary, Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Authority

•⁠ ⁠Dr Khalilu Muhammad, Gates Foundation

•⁠ ⁠Manasseh Igyuh, Zoe Concepts Ltd

•⁠ ⁠Dr Amina Dorayi, Country Director, Pathfinder International

•⁠ ⁠Dr Emmanuel Emedo, Health Specialist, UNICEF

•⁠ ⁠Dr Kelechi Ohiri, Director-General, National Health Insurance Authority

•⁠ ⁠Dr Olumide Okunola, Senior Health Specialist, World Bank

•⁠ ⁠Dr Nuzhat Rafique, UNICEF Chief of Health, Bauchi Field Office

•⁠ ⁠Njide Ndili, Country Director, PharmAccess

•⁠ ⁠Dr Anne Adah-Ogoh, Director of Policy, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria

•⁠ ⁠Dr Muntaqa Umar Sadiq, National Coordinator, Sector-wide Approach (SWAp)

•⁠ ⁠Dr Ahmed Ahmed Abdulwahab, Senior Health Advisor, Nigeria Governors Forum

•⁠ ⁠Dr Ashiru Adamu Abubakar, SWAp Coordinating Office

•⁠ ⁠Fatima Zanna, Country Director, GIZ

•⁠ ⁠Dr Felix Obi, Country Director, R4D

•⁠ ⁠Dr Suraj Abdulkareem, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Gombe State Ministry of Health

•⁠ ⁠Barrister Sani Ahmed Haruna, Executive Chairman, Gombe LGA

•⁠ ⁠Alhassan Yahaya Abdullahi, National President, Nigerian Union of Journalists, and CEO of Saif Foundation

With its mix of high-level policy discussions, technical sessions, and key project inaugurations, the Gombe Health Summit will be much more than a ceremonial event. It promises to be a defining moment for both the state and the country, a chance to strengthen Gombe’s standing as a place where health is not just a political topic but a true priority.

-Tanimu Umar

Director, Planning, Research, and Statistics, GoHealth and

Member, Summit LOC