Daily Hope24 News Desk
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has announced that the state has invested over ₦10 billion in biomedical research and expanded dialysis services to improve healthcare for kidney patients across the state.
Governor Buni made the disclosure on Thursday during the official commissioning of the Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BIORTC) at Yobe State University, Damaturu.He said the investment reflects the administration’s commitment to evidence-based policymaking and strengthening the state’s health system.
The governor reaffirmed the state’s support for kidney research initiatives and urged the Federal Government to establish a federal kidney disease centre in Yobe to complement state interventions and reduce preventable deaths.
He disclosed that dialysis support for citizens had been expanded, with additional centres established in Gashua to reduce the hardship faced by patients who previously had to travel long distances to access care.
Governor Buni assured that his administration would continue investing in science and biomedical research, including the provision of modern equipment to strengthen diagnostics and community-level health services, especially in rural areas.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Health to partner with BIORTC to introduce low-cost diagnostic programmes for malaria and other community diseases, saying such initiatives would strengthen national health practices and improve service delivery in underserved areas.
The governor commended BIORTC for its role in capacity building through workshops and international training programmes hosted in the state, noting that more than 1,000 people from Yobe, across Nigeria, and other parts of Africa had benefited from the centre’s training.
He also urged the Minister of Education to recognise BIORTC as a national research and training centre, including support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), to enable researchers, lecturers, and postgraduate students to conduct advanced research locally.
Governor Buni appealed to the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to support research and training at the centre, while encouraging international partners from the United Kingdom, Europe, and Africa to sustain collaboration with the state for capacity building and sustainable development.
During the event, Governor Buni congratulated Nafisa Abdullahi, Rukayya Ferma, and Hadiza Kashim for their achievements at the 2025 TeenEagle Global Competition in London, United Kingdom.
He described their success as evidence of the state government’s sustained investment in education.
He said the state had reconstructed more than 300 schools destroyed by insurgency, established 19 mega and model schools, and eight government senior secondary schools to improve access to quality education, particularly for the girl-child.
Governor Buni added that over 7,000 qualified teachers had been recruited, while textbooks, laboratory equipment, and other essential learning materials had been distributed across the state.
According to him, the government spends ₦2.6 billion annually on scholarships for more than 800 students at the Nigeria Tulip International College, including the award-winning students.
The state also spends about ₦5.6 billion annually on the registration of WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB examinations for public school students, alongside ₦5.3 billion yearly on the school feeding programme.
He noted that these interventions had improved students’ performance in external examinations and increased their chances of gaining admission into tertiary institutions.
Currently, over 40,000 Yobe students are studying in institutions across the world under state scholarship schemes.
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of Yobe State University, Prof Mohammed Bashir Tahir, described the commissioning of the centre as timely, saying it would deepen students’ understanding of science and technology and strengthen institutional development.
He praised Governor Buni for investing heavily in education and creating an enabling environment for scientific excellence.
The Director of BIORTC, Prof Mahmoud Bukar Maina, said the centre aims to promote Africa’s scientific independence and improve healthcare delivery through research and innovation.
He added that the facility serves as an open-access hub for advanced medical research, training, and diagnostics in Yobe State, Nigeria, and across Africa.
Prof Maina noted that the centre is equipped for research in neuroscience, genomics, and infectious diseases, and is powered by a solar energy system to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.
He requested additional staff recruitment and the expansion of laboratories within the university campus to fully achieve the centre’s objectives and sustain its operations.
Governor Buni responded immediately by approving the requests, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to scientific development and service to humanity.
