Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has approved the immediate employment of 416 nurses and midwives to strengthen healthcare service delivery across the state.
The governor disclosed that the newly employed health workers are graduates of the Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Sciences (SSCNS), Damaturu.
Buni announced the automatic employment on Wednesday during the graduation ceremony of student nurses and midwives held in Damaturu. He was represented at the event by his deputy, Idi Barde Gubana.

Gubana said the state government’s sustained investment in the health sector was aimed at addressing manpower shortages in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
He noted that the recruitment aligns with ongoing health sector reforms targeted at improving healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities.
Highlighting the role of the college, the deputy governor said government investments in the institution over the past seven years had yielded significant benefits for both rural and urban populations.

According to him, the state has employed more than 3,500 healthcare workers in recent years, with many graduates of the college among the beneficiaries.
“You are to train adequate, qualified and professional manpower for health facilities, including the specialist hospitals in Damaturu, Potiskum and Buni-Yadi,” he charged the college authorities.
Gubana further stated that the Buni administration had deliberately prioritised the health sector to ensure functional, efficient and effective healthcare services at the grassroots.
He added that the government had also established a world-class Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BioRTC) at Yobe State University, with its permanent site commissioned last year to promote research and train young scientists.

The deputy governor assured the college management of continued government support, pledging to consider requests aimed at strengthening the institution.
He also commended the outgoing Provost, Hajiya Hadiza Sabo, for her leadership and contributions to academic excellence during her two-term tenure.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Mohammed Lawan Gana, said Yobe recently emerged as the best-performing state in primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria, based on an independent survey by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum under the Federal Government’s National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
He added that the state won a $1.2 million (about ₦1.68 billion) prize in 2025.

Earlier, the Provost of the college, Hajiya Hadiza Sabo, revealed that between 2019 and 2026, the institution graduated 1,485 students, all of whom received automatic employment.
She noted that the policy has significantly improved the recruitment, deployment and retention of healthcare personnel in the state.
She added that the latest batch of graduates includes 158 Community Nurses, 196 Basic Nurses and Midwives, and 62 Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates in Nursing.