Yobe Boosts Healthcare:  Government employs 2,500 workers, upgrades five hospitals to specialist status

Njadvara Musa, Damaturu 

The Yobe State Government has taken a major step toward strengthening its healthcare delivery system by employing 2,500 health workers and upgrading five General Hospitals to Specialist Healthcare Facilities (SHFT) across the state.

The Executive Secretary of the Yobe Hospitals Management Board (YOHMB), Dr Abubakar Yerima, announced this during an inspection tour and media briefing at the newly upgraded Specialist Hospital, Buni-Yadi, located in Gujba Local Government Area.

He stated that the other upgraded facilities are located in the state capital, Gashua, Potiskum, Geidam, and Damaturu.

“Upgrading these general hospitals to specialist level is expected to significantly improve access to specialised care, reduce unnecessary medical referrals outside the state, save lives and minimise long travel hours,” Yerima explained.

He noted that the initiative is part of a broader strategy that prioritises modern infrastructure, specialised labour, and improved staff welfare—with the goal of reducing medical tourism and preventing avoidable deaths.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Dr Yerima disclosed that the government has constructed a new maternity complex, complete with a special care baby unit, to address high maternal and neonatal mortality. Additionally, a new Accident & Emergency (A&E) complex has been added to handle trauma cases, terrorism-related injuries, and road traffic accidents.

He added that the specialist hospitals are equipped with advanced twin-theatre and surgical complexes, with only one other facility in the state having a similar setup.

“We are focusing on high-volume centres that can serve as medical hubs for referrals from neighbouring communities, especially the more than 150 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state,” he said.

Training and Manpower Development

The ES further revealed that about 70 healthcare workers are currently undergoing residency training to become specialist doctors. Others are being trained in dialysis, ICU care, perioperative services, and emergency nursing to deepen the state’s professional capacity.

Dr Yerima urged residents to patronise the specialist hospitals rather than relying on unregulated patent medicine stores within communities, assuring them that the upgraded facilities can now provide quality, specialised treatment closer to home.

Gov. Buni salutes Yobeans for tolerance and peaceful co-existence

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state has saluted members of the various religious and ethnic groups for their sustained tolerance and peaceful co-existence since the state was created in 1992.

According to him, the people’s tolerance and resilience to the Boko Haram insurgency have strengthened peacebuilding and the security of life and property across the state.

Buni spoke on Monday in Damaturu, when members of the Yobe State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Damaturu.

The governor congratulated the Christian communities in the state and across the country on the celebration of Christmas.

Buni described the season as one that reinforces the values of love, sacrifice, unity, and peaceful coexistence among the state’s communities.

He stressed that peace remains the foundation of meaningful development and freedom of religious practice, stating, “Societies engulfed in crises often struggle not only with development but also with the freedom to practice their religion without being intimidated.”

Buni assured that his administration will continue to promote peace and tolerance for the growth and development of the state, revealing that the government will construct 25 kilometres of township roads in Damaturu to improve commuting in the metropolis.

Earlier, the State CAN Chairman, Bishop Yohana Audu, commended the Governor for running an all-inclusive government.

“This has placed the state on a steady path of development anchored on peace, harmony and mutual

Bishop Yohana noted that the core message of Christmas is peace, love and reconciliation, which are reflected in Governor Buni’s style of governance.

He said the Buni administration has appointed members of CAN into various positions and allocated seats for the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Israel.

The Chairman of the Northern Christian Religious Leaders Assembly, Rev. Garba Idi, also commended the Governor for giving the Christian faithful a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Buni Spreads Christmas Cheer to 7,000 Vulnerable Christian Families in Yobe

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has once again demonstrated his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance by distributing tonnes of food items to 7,000 Christian households and vulnerable individuals across the state to mark the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The distribution exercise was flagged off on Wednesday night in Damaturu. Representing the governor, the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Mohammed Goje, said the intervention was designed to ease the burden on families and enable them to celebrate the festive season with dignity.

According to Dr Goje, each beneficiary household received an enhanced food package comprising rice, spaghetti, cooking oil and semolina flour.

Dr Goje explained that they carefully selected the items to support both Christmas and New Year festivities.

He conveyed Governor Buni’s message, urging members of the Christian community to continue to embrace peace, unity and mutual understanding, while also praying for the sustained progress and development of Yobe State and Nigeria at large.

Speaking at the event, the State Focal Person on Christian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem (CPJ), Mr Emmanuel Degubi, praised the governor for what he described as consistent and inclusive leadership. He noted that the gesture reflected Governor Buni’s commitment to governing the state without discrimination based on religion or political affiliation.

Mr Degubi further acknowledged that the Buni administration has continued to support the Christian community, not only during festive periods but also in times of emergency and hardship.

He cited regular assistance during annual religious observances such as Good Friday, as well as support extended to Christian communities in border areas, including those close to the Niger Republic.

The distribution exercise added to a series of social welfare initiatives by the Yobe State Government aimed at strengthening peaceful coexistence and ensuring that vulnerable citizens are not left out during significant national and religious celebrations.