Dr. Abubakar Yakubu, the Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (KSPHCDA) was recently honored with Distinguished International Merit Award of Excellence, for most innovative top best run agency in the North, by the Arewa Media Publications Event Company.
The two awards are: Award For Excellence, Professionalism and Commitment to Duty for 2019, and ‘Distinguished Service Meirt Award’, for most Outstanding Best Performed Chief Executive Award For Excellence 2019.
The event which was held at Arewa House, Kaduna, had distinguished personalities in attendance from across the country who were also recipients of various awards.
Prince Joshua Adeleke, the Chief Executive of the organisation and Publisher of Northern Achievers Magazine, said the awardees were distinguished Nigerians who had impacted positively on their various organisations, communities, and the North in general.
He said the recipients were careful selected based on professional competence and commitment to service, describing them as a leading and hidden treasure in Nigeria.
He described Dr Yakubu as a game changer whose appointment had brought remarkable changes and transformation to KSPHCDA within a short time, saying ‘Yakubu is an intellectual personified in humility and living legend”.
He congratulated the Awardees and urged them to stay focused on the prize for hardworking.
In his response, Dr Yakubu thanked the organisers for the recognition and for finding him worthy of the awards, adding that the award would spur him to do more.
He dedicated the award His Excellency, Gov. Yahaya Bello, who had been given the agency the moral and financial support to excel in the state especially in the area of Primary Healthcare Under One Roof which the Governor signed into law this year.
He stressed that the governor had approved the PHC to be Under One Roof (PHCUOR) and had signed the PHC re-enacted bill into law, while urging other nothern governors to do same to pave way for a better and healthier nation at large.
The Executive Director also thanked the management and staff of the agency for their support cooperation in the last two years.
Yakubu stressed the need for northern governors to focus more attention on health issues by investing more especially in community mobilisation to support the activities of PHC.
“A government that has the health sector at heart should get it first from the onset; if this is done, 80 per cent of the challenges we have at the health care sector would be solved.
”Achieving a better and healthier nothern population would enable more productivity and development among the nothern populace and Nigeria at large.
”We need to coordinate and integrate all the PHC services if we must achieve maximum results,” Yakubu said.
The event, with the theme: ”Celebrating the Legacies of Nothern Stars: Rewarding Executive”, also heralded the Launching of a book, titled: ”Nothern Star: Who is Who in the North”.
Other Awardees were: Yobe Deputy Gov., Mr Idi Gubana; the Emir of Ningi, Alh. Yunusa Danyaya; Sokoto Commissioner of Animal Health & Fisheries, Prof. A.U Jinaidu; the Emir of Kaura Namoda, Alh. Muhammed Ahmed; Sokoko Commissioner for Health, Alh Muhammed Inname; the Emir of Bukuyyum in Zamfara, Alh. Muhammad Usman, among several others.
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ACHIEVEMENTS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KOGI STATE PRIMARY HEALTHCARE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
Dr Abubakar Yakubu was appointed the ED of KGSPHCDA in the 4th quarter of 2017, yet he hit the gound running.
His appointment coincided with an out break of Yellow fever in the state. Together with his team and Development partners, they swung into action to arrest the situation. After settling down the ED quickly identified the absence of a working data, poor staff motivation , poor coordination and lack of conducive working environment as the immediate challenges facing the agency and he set out to address them squarely.
Two years on, he has successfully conducted a comprehensive Baseline survey of primary healthcare facilities in the state . This is the first of its kind since the establishment of the agency in 2012. The baseline survey has enabled the agency and the Ministry of Health to plan and make projections base on accurate facts and figures.
In order to improve routine immunization you need a motivated staff that are properly coordinated to achieve a desired goal. He spare headed the behind the scene moves to get the Primary Health care Under One Roof bill passed and signed into law.
An inter-ministerial committee has been inaugurated to harmonize and streamline agencies and departments that are key to the implementation of the Primary Healthcare under one roof policy.
This revolutionary law , PHCUOR will collapse all primary healthcare structures under the local governments into the agency for better coordination, control and financing. This is a major milestone for primary healthcare in Kogi state.
This PHCUOR law has made it possible for the state to release the sum of N100,000,000 counter part fund to enable the agency to access the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Under the able leadership of the ED KGSPHCDA, the capacity of the state central cold room has been expanded to contain additional 25 ton of vaccine and a 100 KVA solar energy system has also been installed to provide 24 hours non stop power supply to the cold room.This expanded cold room couple with the GAVI Solar Direct Derive Refrigerator donated to the state for distribution to PHCs in the 21 local government areas will boost the vaccine quality and preservation.
In less than two years, Dr. Abubakar Yakubu has moved the Kogi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency from four offices scattered within the state secretariat to a befitting two storey building complex , well furnished with adequate office spaces and conference facilities at a time the state and the country in general is facing financial challenges.
lnview of his sterling performance in the last two years at the helms of affairs as ED KGSPHCDA, Development partners and non -governmental organizations have recognized and bestowed awards on him.
1. In March 2018, USAID Maternal and Child Survival Program presented an “Award of outstanding Excellence to the Executive Director of KSPHCDA in appreciation of his immense contributions towards the USAID MCSP project” in Kogi State.
2. In June 2018, the Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation (CESVO) presented to ED KSPHCDA a Certificate of Credence having scored 73% to be enlisted amongst the first 10 highly rated Most Ethically Responsible SPHCDA in Nigeria 2017/2018.
3. In October 2018, the Guardian Newspaper in it’s Independence Anniversary Special Report on Oct 15, 2018 showcased 6 Most outstanding Chief Executives of State PHCDA in the Country of which Dr Abubakar Yakubu was one of them.
4. In October 2019, Kogi Project Initiative for New Direction (K-PIND) nominated Dr Abubakar Yakubu as it’s Patron in recognition of his impactful leadership of the KGSPHCDA.
