By Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
The Yobe State Government under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni has recorded remarkable achievements across education, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure and security over the past seven years.
The Acting Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Mohammad Goje, stated this while briefing journalists in Damaturu on Friday, as part of activities marking the 7th anniversary of the administration, held under the theme: “Seven Years of Continuity, Consolidation and Transformational Leadership.”
According to Dr. Goje in agriculture sector, Governor Buni convened a historic Agricultural Summit in 2019 and adopted the state’s first comprehensive Agricultural Policy. Key interventions include 7,500 metric tonnes of NPK fertilizer distributed at subsidised prices.
, 1,500 metric tonnes for irrigation farming, 40 Massey Ferguson tractors for mechanisation, Ruga settlements, and an Animal Research Institute along Potiskum Road, agriculture being the backbone of Yobe’s economy, providing livelihoods for over 80 per cent of the population.
In education sector, Goje described education as the most strategic investment for the state’s future.
According to him the Buni administration has built seven Mega Schools and seven Model Schools across Damaturu, Potiskum, Gashua, Nguru, Geidam, Dapchi and Buni Yadi, equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories and ICT facilities in the schools. Tertiary education also received a boost with the College of Integrated Sciences (temporary site), expanded facilities at the College of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Clinical Section at Yobe State University Teaching Hospital respectively.
He explained that at the Yobe State University, the Biotechnology Research and Training Centre (BioRTC) was constructed and also technical and vocational training was strengthened at Mai Idriss Alooma Polytechnic, Geidam, and CAMTECH Potiskum respectively.
According to Goje, in an effort to reinforce security sector reforms, the government established the Yobe State Security Stakeholders Forum, enhancing inter-agency coordination and intelligence sharing. Additionally, the administration prioritised the training of personnel in crisis management and non-kinetic operations, ensuring that local security volunteers and officials are well-prepared to handle emerging threats that may arise.
Dr. Goje said these efforts have yielded significant results: previously affected communities are now experiencing a renaissance of economic and social activities, marked by thriving markets, operational schools, and improved road networks in all over the state at large.
On infrastructure, ongoing projects include the iconic Damaturu Flyover, dualisation of the 26-kilometre Damaturu–Kalallawa Road, and township roads across all local government areas respectively.
According to Goje, also in Healthcare transformation includes 143 new Primary Healthcare Centres, upgrade of general hospitals to specialist status, and coverage of over 350,000 residents under the state health insurance scheme (YSCHMA) respectively.
In his contribution during the briefing, Yobe State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information, and Culture, Alhaji Abdullahi Bego, explained that despite the persistent security and operational challenges that have plagued Yobe State in recent years, the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni has remained steadfast in its commitment to governance and development of the state.
Bego added that the Governor Buni administration has received multiple awards from reputable international organizations, including the World Bank, particularly in the areas of healthcare delivery and other critical human development sectors respectively.
