The Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has approved automatic employment for 416 graduating students of the Shehu Sule College of Nursing Sciences in a move aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery in the state.
Buni made the announcement on Tuesday during the institution’s graduation ceremony held in Damaturu. He was represented by his deputy, Idi Gubana.
The beneficiaries include 158 Community Nurses, 196 Basic Nurses and Midwives, and 62 Higher National Diploma Nursing graduates.
According to the governor, the decision is part of his administration’s ongoing efforts to address manpower shortages and improve access to quality healthcare services across the state.
“This gesture aligns with our sustained investment in the health sector and our commitment to bridging manpower gaps in our healthcare facilities,” he said.
Buni noted that consistent government support to the college over the past seven years had yielded positive results, particularly in the training of qualified health professionals.
He added, “In recent years, the government has recruited over 3,500 healthcare workers, many of whom are graduates of this institution, to ensure adequate staffing and professionalism in the sector.”
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building an efficient and people-oriented healthcare system, stressing that the sector would continue to receive priority attention.
He highlighted the establishment of a Biomedical Research and Training Centre at the state university, describing it as a step towards enhancing research capacity and training young scientists.
Buni further assured the college management of continued support, pledging to address their needs and reposition the institution as a leading health training centre in Nigeria. He also commended the outgoing Provost, Hadiza Sabo, for maintaining high academic standards.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Mohammed Lawan Gana, disclosed that the state recently emerged as the best-performing in primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria, following an assessment by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum under a Federal Government initiative.
He said the recognition earned the state a $1.2 million prize.
Earlier, the provost revealed that between 2019 and 2026, the college graduated 1,485 students, all of whom were offered automatic employment, a policy she said had improved recruitment, deployment and retention of healthcare workers in the state.
The event also featured the commissioning of projects and the launch of a compendium magazine documenting the administration’s achievements.
