Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State

By Nasir Dambatta

A healthcare earthquake is shaking the foundations of Nigeria’s medical landscape—and its epicentre is Kaduna. Under the transformative leadership of Governor Uba Sani, the state is fast emerging as Nigeria’s new medical powerhouse, delivering sweeping upgrades in infrastructure, service delivery, and access that are both unprecedented and unmatched.

In just 22 months, Kaduna has moved from decades of health sector neglect to front-page glory, thanks to a cocktail of bold vision, strategic investments, and relentless execution. This is not just reform—it’s a revolution.

A 300-Bed Specialist Hospital Nearing Completion

Leading the charge is the near-complete 300-bed Specialist Hospital, where civil works are 100% done and 85% of equipment already installed. Once operational, it will offer top-tier medical services, drastically reducing medical tourism and affirming Kaduna’s rise as a healthcare hub.

Upgrading 255 PHCs for Rural Impact

The administration is upgrading 255 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) to Level 2, enabling them to provide basic emergency obstetrics and neonatal care. Additionally, 290 PHCs have received modern diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, boosting grassroots capacity like never before.

General Hospitals Reborn

Thirteen of the state’s 33 general hospitals are undergoing massive rehabilitation. Also underway is the reconstruction and re-equipping of Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Tudun Wada, which is set to become a regional reference centre.

Unmatched Access to Medicines

Kaduna has achieved 100% medicine distribution coverage in public health facilities, validated by the Federal Ministry of Health. Over 975 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) have been procured and distributed, ending the age-long cries of drug shortages.

Pharma-Grade Distribution Infrastructure

The state’s Health Supplies Management Agency (KADHSMA) now operates at Pharma-grade standards, with a 1,600 sqm warehouse, 8,000 cubic meter capacity, and a fully-equipped quality control laboratory—the first of its kind in the region.

Explosive Health Insurance Coverage

In one year, the number of enrollees in the state health insurance scheme soared from 527,303 in 2023 to 639,432 in 2024, a 21.3% jump. Governor Sani further approved the enrolment of 70,000 vulnerable persons under KADCHMA and released N52 million as counterpart funding to enrol 4,333 more under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).

Budgeting Health First

In line with the Abuja Declaration, the Sani administration has consistently allocated 15% of the state’s budget to healthcare—a feat rarely matched in today’s Nigeria.

What Kaduna is witnessing is not cosmetic patchwork—it is structural transformation. At the centre of it all stands Governor Uba Sani, proving that good governance, when focused on people’s well-being, can turn any state into a national model.

Kaduna has become the heartbeat of Nigeria’s healthcare renaissance. Other states, take notes.

*Dambatta is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media