Governor Ododo’s healthcare reforms pay off, as Kogi climbs to 10th position in  Preparedness Index

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Kogi State has made a significant breakthrough in healthcare, climbing from 18th to 10th position in the 2025 SBM Health Preparedness Index.

The SBM Health Preparedness Index assesses the capacity of Nigeria’s 36 states to effectively respond to health emergencies and deliver quality healthcare services the report stated. The annual report draws data from credible national and international institutions including the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), World Health Organisation (WHO), The Lancet, Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), BudgIT, The Cable, the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Radboud University, and the Global Data Lab.

The index evaluates key indicators such as budgetary commitments, human resource capacity, and health outcomes, using the most recent available data.

Although no state in the country met the 30 percent national target for health preparedness, Kogi’s advancement represents a significant step forward in its healthcare reform journey.

The improvement, according to the report reflects the Ododo administration’s sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, personnel development, and community-based health delivery.

Speaking on the development on Monday, the Coordinating Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdilazeez Adeiza Adams, described the improvement as “a testament to the strategic leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the dedication of the health workforce in Kogi State.”

Adams assured that the State Government remains “fully committed to strengthening the health system to achieve universal health coverage, enhance emergency response capacity, and surpass national benchmarks in the coming years”.

“This is an encouraging development, but we are not relenting. We are scaling up investments in primary healthcare, training more professionals, and expanding access to quality medical services across all local government areas. Our ultimate goal is to make Kogi a model of resilience and efficiency in Nigeria’s health sector,” Dr. Adams said.

Also commenting on the report, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, noted that Kogi State continues to shine in healthcare delivery under the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.

“This is a positive response to the challenge posed to the Coordinating Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdilazeez Adeiza Adams, to move Kogi up from the 18th position she occupied in 2023 and 2024. The Ministry has done the needful, and now the Governor has further challenged the Health Team to push Kogi even higher,” he stated.

Fanwo added that the development reflects the tangible outcomes of the administration’s people-centered policies.

“Our investment in health is paying off. This is the real measure of development, when governance directly improves lives and strengthens our health sector capacity”, he asserted.