By Ndahi Marama, Damaturu

Yobe State, under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni, is one of the states suffering attacks carried out by Boko Haram terrorists.

Prior to Buni’s emergence in 2019, the challenges were enormous, but he decided to take the bull by the horns to ensure that a legacy of security is left at the end of his tenure come 2027.

The first bold step he took was the declaration of state of emergency in the security and education sectors in Yobe as Boko Haram literally means ‘Western Education is Sin’.

Precisely, on May 29, 2019, there were many communities that were inaccessible due to the threat posed by the insurgents in Gujba and Gulani Local Government Areas.
But with commitment, backed by the Federal Government, gallantry of security operatives, complementary efforts of vigilante groups and the persistent prayers of the people, normalcy has returned to the insurgency ravaged areas and reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation of communities like Buni-yadi are on course while that of Malamdunari is being carried out satisfactorily.

In almost all parts of the state, people are now moving about pursuing their legitimate goals without hindrance.

The state government has provided over 250 patrol and specialized vehicles for security agencies while installing long-range cameras at strategic locations to detect security threats and acquiring landed assets for the agencies to build their headquarters in Yobe.

Of note are the FRSC, the NDLEA, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and the DSS.
In the same vein, over 2, 000 vigilante, hunters, and hybrid force elements were engaged to complement the efforts of security agencies in Yobe.
To address rampant cases of kidney failure hitherto, Buni hosted a group of international scientists and scholars who came from countries from across the world for the summer school training at the Biomedical Training and Research Centre, Damaturu.
The scholars were drawn from the United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, South Africa, Algeria, Senegal and Ghana, who spent some time at the Africa’s emerging hub of science and research.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with some of the research institutions from which the participants came to address issues related to renal failure.
The initiative has started yielding results as a study revealed that there are elements of metals in the source of drinking water in Jakusco, Gashua, Nguru, Geidam and environs of the Lake Chad and Kumadugu River Basin.
In his inaugural speeches in 2019 and 2023 respectively, Yobeans were informed of the governor’s commitment to the provision of functional and standard primary healthcare system at ward level, secondary healthcare system at local government headquarters, specialist care at zonal levels and tertiary care in the state capital with the aim of achieving universal health coverage throughout Yobe.
To achieve the target of providing one functional primary healthcare center in each of the 178 wards in the state, 140 have, so far, been completed and commissioned.
The state administration also procured 88 customized tricycle ambulances and distributed them to remote areas to ease the movement of patients to health centers.
Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA) was also established, and over 300,000 people, including civil servants and other members of the public, have enrolled in the scheme.
The scheme enables patients to pay only 10% of the total cost of medication.
Yobe State Drugs and Medical Consumable Management Agency (YODMA) was also established with drugs worth over N2.3 billion provided to address drugs and medical supply system needs of the state.
In addition, the State Emergency Medical Ambulance and Yobe State Healthcare and Health-related Facilities Inspection and Monitoring Agency were established to boost healthcare delivery in matters relating to domestic and road traffic accidents and monitoring of health facilities to provide best standard practice.
The state government provides free health services to pregnant women, children under five, and for accident victims for the first 48 hours in addition to free dialysis for patients of kidney ailments.
It also collaborates with development partners in the implementation of programs against the spread of polio and child-killer diseases, among others.
Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Health has recognized Yobe as the most improved state in terms of immunization coverage from 16% to 65%.
Its tertiary healthcare delivery service was enhanced with the provision of a well-equipped Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Complex at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital. The complex has 300-bed capacity with 7 blocks comprising Gynecology Clinic Ward, Obstetric Theatre, Labour and Delivery Suites, Emergency Pediatric, Pediatric road and a Special Baby Care Unit.The complex has vastly increased the Teaching Hospital‘s bed capacity to over 700 and made it the biggest and one of the most equipped hospitals in the Country.
At present, the Teaching Hospital has state of the art equipment, including radio-diagnostic center equipped with MRI, 164 slides CT scan, Mammography, digital/mobile Xray, Ultra Sound, among others.
The aim is to make Yobe State the hub of medical tourism in the country. In recognition of the giant strides in the provision of primary Health Care Services, Yobe State emerged as the best State in the Federation at National Primary Health Care competition in December, 2025 having clinched the first position as the nest among the 36 State of the federation.
The education sector was the worst-hit during period of insurgency as the dogma of the insurgents prohibited Western education. Their attacks were seriously on school structures, teachers, and students. The killings, maiming, trauma, and structural destructions were too enormous to contend with. This necessitated Buni to immediately declare a state of emergency on the sector. This was followed by convening of Education Summit, constitution of Committee on Revitalization of Basic and Secondary Education, and later on, Yobe State Education Trust Fund.
In this regard, the present administration have been able to establish six new Model Schools, seven Mega Schools, nine new Government Girls Day Senior Secondary Schools, eight new co-education Government Day Senior Secondary Schools and additional one for boys across the State. One IDP School was also established in Buni Yadi. All these were in addition to construction of new classes, laboratories, ICT centers, hostels and other vital structures as well as provision of teaching and learning materials to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning for the attainment of conducive learning atmosphere for our students and pupils. Over 4,000 teaching and non-teaching staff were recruited and posted to various primary and secondary schools, and 26,000 teachers were trained or retrained to enhance their capacities.
Meanwhile, the present administration has been consolidating on the achievements of successive administrations by making progress in manpower training and intensifying efforts to increase internally generated revenue collection and strengthening the Treasury Single Account. The reforms and new approaches adopted enable Buni to minimize leakages in the execution of government businesses and record landmark achievements in the implementation of policies such as the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), State Fiscal, Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) and the Electronic Government Procurement System (e-GP) has fetched us commendation of the Federal Ministry of Finance and by the World Bank.
Similarly, the World Bank awarded Yobe State Government a grant of 5 million dollars due to its reforms, which are in tandem with World best practices in procurement, Annual Auditor General’s Report, and other fiscal reforms.
Other achievements include the employment of 6,449 civil servants, payment of gratuity to the tune of N15.4 billion, trainings within and outside the country culminating in about 35 trainings conducted with total number of 6,395 beneficiaries.
In its quest to provide a conducive environment and judicious governance, the State Government through its Publix Finance Managememt (PFM) Reforms accessed about $10m equivalent to N3.8bn grant after the valuation exercise of 2021 Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) 1-9 and an additional grant of $10m equivalent to N3.8bn for meeting Covid-19 additional financing.
With the scarce resources at its disposal, the government was able to complete the rehabilitation of Katarko-Goniri and Siminti-Godowoli roads while rehabilitation work is ongoing along Geidam-Bukarti, Bayamari-Yunusari and Yunusari-Kanamma roads. It have completed road construction projects of the Damaturu-Kalallawa 25.5-kilometer dual carriage way for easier access to the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo airport and completed the dualization of Abattoir Junction-New Bye-pass Roundabout along Potiskum road for smooth movement of high number of traffic. We are also constructing Damagum-Gubana, Bulanguwa-Kumagannam, Nguru-Bulanguwa, Danchuwa-Garin Abba-Garin Bingel, Chumbusko-Tagali, Nguru Highway-Karasuwa Galu town, Fika-Maluri, Jaji Maji-Karasuwa, Ngelzarma-Mashio, Garin Abba-Danchuwa, Danchuwa-Jajere town and Kukuri-Chukuriwa-Dawasa intercommunity roads, among others.
Similarly, contracts have been awarded for the construction of township roads in Damaturu, Nguru, Potiskum, Gashua and Geidam, Babbagida, Jaji-Maji, Jakusko, Yusufari, Machina, Buni-Yadi, Buni-Gari, Damagum, Fika, and Nangere in addition to the earlier township roads constructed.
In total, over 500km roads are being executed by the State Government. These projects, which are in various stages of completion, are being carried out with a view to opening up the communities and their adjoining settlements for enhanced socio-economic activities. And to ease traffic flow in the capital city which has witnessed an increase in population in recent years, Buni embarked on the construction of a three level flyover and underpass at the city center and work on the project has reached an advanced stage with its completion expected in the first quarter of 2026.
In addition, 2,350 houses across the 17 Local Government Areas have been constructed, and the estate provided with basic facilities
The administration has so far completed the Ibrahim Geidam Ultra-Modern Market, Damaturu; Senator Ahmed I. Lawan Modern Market, Gashua and the Sheik Ngibirima Ultra-Modern Market, Nguru completion of Potiskum market, Ngalda, Machina, Yunusari, Buni-Yadi while construction works are ongoing in Geidam Market.
Furthermore, the construction of Potiskum Truck Transit Park and Mega Shopping Mall in Damaturu are also ongoing. Being the state with the largest production of high-quality Sesame seeds, the administration has completed the construction of 4 Sesame Seeds processing factories in Damaturu, Potiskum, Nguru and Machina towns.
Agriculture is the mainstay of Yobe’s economy that employs 80% of its people. The sector plays a key role in women and youth empowerment, employment generation, and poverty alleviation, among others. However, the sector was largely characterized by traditional practices of subsistence farming, resulting in continuous low productivity and less profits to farmers. This was further being undermined by multifaceted factors such as drought, flooding, inadequacy of machinery, lack of capital, weak research and extension system, inadequate inputs and infrastructure issues.This therefore, prompted the Government to organize an Agricultural Summit in 2019 to chart a new course for agricultural transformation to enhance food sufficiency, food security and to make agriculture more profitable.
The outcome of the summit culminated in the formation of Steering Committee on Revitalization of Agriculture, which, in conjunction with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, developed the State Sector Strategic Plan.
The strategic plan was designed to address inadequacies in the agricultural sector and make it more comprehensive, productive, and commercially attractive. Using inputs from the plan, the State has now developed its agricultural policy document, which is the first of its kind since the creation of Yobe State.
To this end, some political pundits and stakeholders had admitted that the legacies that are to be left behind by Governor Buni before the end of his second tenure come 2027, would be too numerous to mention and can stand the test of time for the people of the state.