Buni Launches Emergency Health Insurance Scheme for Over 30,000 Vulnerable Yobe Residents

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has unveiled a special emergency contributory healthcare enrolment scheme designed to provide life-saving medical services to 30,240 vulnerable residents across the state.

The initiative, launched by the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA), is supported by the Federal Government’s Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and targets underserved populations with limited access to healthcare.

Speaking at the official launch held on Friday in Damaturu, the Executive Secretary of YSCHMA, Dr. Babagana Tijjani, who represented Governor Buni, described the program as a critical step toward expanding healthcare access and strengthening social protection for the most vulnerable citizens.

According to him, the Emergency Contributory Healthcare Enrolment Scheme (ECHES) is aimed at removing financial and structural barriers that prevent vulnerable groups from accessing quality medical care, while advancing Yobe State’s goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030.

“This intervention is designed to improve access to essential healthcare services for vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly those affected by years of insecurity and displacement,” Tijjani said.

He noted that special attention is being given to communities impacted by insurgency, including the Geidam, Gujba, Yunusari, Gulani, Bursari, and Karasuwa local government areas, where access to healthcare has been severely disrupted.

Dr Tijjani explained that the enrolment scheme has been carefully structured to cover key vulnerable groups. Children under the age of five account for 35 per cent of beneficiaries, while pregnant women make up 40 per cent.

Elderly individuals will represent seven per percent, physically challenged individuals three per percent, and about 14.5 per cent will cover widows, orphans, internally displaced individuals (IDPs), indigent residents and sickle cell patients.

He added that the program reflects the Buni administration’s broader vision of building a compassionate, inclusive, and equitable healthcare system that prioritises the well-being of those most in need.

“The governor’s vision is clear: no resident of Yobe State should be denied access to healthcare because of poverty, age, disability or displacement,” Tijjani stressed.

The Executive Secretary further disclosed that enrolment will be conducted across 162 political wards in the state’s 17 local government areas, with the exception of communities still facing serious security challenges.

To ensure transparency, accountability and proper targeting, Tijjani said all beneficiaries will be enrolled and verified using their National Identification numbers (NIN), a measure aimed at preventing duplication and abuse of the scheme.

Meanwhile, the Director of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) at YSCHMA, Saleh Ibrahim, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strict compliance with enrolment guidelines during an inspection visit to selected health facilities.

He described the emergency healthcare scheme as a clear demonstration of Governor Buni’s commitment to inclusive and people-centered governance, especially for the most vulnerable segments of society.

Ibrahim also highlighted the role of traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, and development partners in supporting the successful rollout of the program, noting that protecting vulnerable populations is both the moral and developmental responsibility of the government.

With the launch of the emergency healthcare scheme, stakeholders believe Yobe State is taking a significant step toward strengthening its healthcare system and restoring hope to thousands of residents who have long struggled to access basic medical services.

Buni Commits to 38 New PHCs as Yobe Pushes Toward Universal Health Coverage

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has announced plans to construct and fully equip 38 new Primary Healthcare centers (PHCs) across the state, a move aimed at strengthening grassroots healthcare delivery and fast-tracking the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The governor said the new facilities, scheduled for completion by December 2026, will serve the remaining 38 communities yet to benefit from standard primary healthcare services, bringing the total number of PHCs in the state to 178—one for each political ward.

Buni made the pledge on Sunday during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Machina Cultural Festival (MACRF) held in Machina, a border community between Nigeria and the Niger Republic.

According to him, the expansion of PHCs aligns with both federal and state priorities to strengthen primary healthcare as the backbone of an effective health system and to meet the UHC target by 2030.

“With the addition of these 38 centers, every ward in Yobe State will have a functional primary healthcare facility,” the governor said.

The governor explained, “This is a deliberate strategy to bring quality and affordable healthcare services closer to our people, especially those in hard-to-reach and border communities.”

Buni attributed the progress recorded so far in the health sector to the dedication of health workers serving in the state, particularly those deployed to insurgency-affected areas.

He revealed that Yobe State recently received a performance-based reward of $1.2 million (about N1.8 billion) for meeting key UHC benchmarks, noting that the funds are being channeled into the construction and equipping of the additional 38 PHCs.

Beyond infrastructure, the governor emphasised a people-centered healthcare approach, characterising it as “an efficient system that directly delivers essential health services to citizens.”

He added that the existing 140 PHCs have been strengthened with over 3,000 medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and other critical health workers, to improve service delivery across the state.

In a related development, Buni also announced the expansion of the Yobe State Agricultural Empowerment Scheme (YOAES), with plans to support an additional 50 farmers in each of the state’s 178 wards as part of efforts to boost food security and livelihoods.

Following the Machina Cultural Festival, the governor inaugurated a philanthropic housing estate in Nguru and inspected ongoing health, agricultural, and market projects in Machina.

The cultural festival attracted high-profile dignitaries, including former Senate President Ahmad Lawan, as well as traditional rulers from different parts of Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger Republic.

Earlier in the day, Governor Buni had commissioned the housing estate in Nguru and toured several development projects aimed at improving social services and economic activities in the zone.

Yobe Reclaims Peace as 14 LGAs Secure From Insurgency — SSG

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu 

Yobe State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baba Malam Wali, says normalcy has returned to most parts of the state, as 14 Local Government Areas (LGAs) are now secure from Boko Haram attacks and other criminal activities that once disrupted life and economic activities.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday in Damaturu, Wali said sustained operations by the military and other security agencies, coupled with state government interventions, have strengthened security within the last six years.

He recalled that some communities, especially in Gujba and Gulani LGAs, were once too dangerous to access due to their proximity to the Sambisa forest and the Damaturu–Biu axis. According to him, these areas were “previously inaccessible for any meaningful socio-economic activity.”

Wali explained that with support from the Federal Government and coordinated operations by troops and security operatives, peace has been restored in places such as Buni-Yadi, Gujba, Goniri and Katarko, enabling displaced residents to return to their communities.

Beyond military operations, the SSG highlighted several investments made by the Yobe State Government to stabilise the region. These include the distribution of 250 patrols and specialised vehicles to boost security responses, especially in border communities and forest fringes.

He added that the government donated transformers to military barracks, provided 500 motorcycles for field operations, and installed long-range surveillance cameras at strategic locations to monitor suspicious movements.

Wali also disclosed that the state allocated large parcels of land to various security agencies for the establishment of operational bases, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Army, Correctional Service, and the Department of State Services (DSS).

According to him, ongoing interventions include providing housing support for personnel, communication equipment, and monthly logistics assistance in cash and kind to the military, police, and DSS. The state also rehabilitated more than 300 operational vehicles and engaged more than 2,000 vigilantes, hunters, and hybrid forces to reinforce community security.

Highlighting the impact of these efforts, the SSG noted that residents now travel safely to distant LGAs such as Machina and Yusufari even at night, something he described as impossible at the peak of insurgency.

Wali’s briefing to over 50 journalists signifies an important turning point in Yobe’s journey towards sustained peace. He encouraged citizens to resume legitimate business activities without fear, expressing optimism that the state is on a firm path to stability after years of insecurity.