December 31, (THEWILL) — Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved a significant scale-up of rural allowances for medical doctors and nurses serving under the State Hospital Management Board, increasing them to 100% and 40% of their total salaries, respectively.
The Governor made the announcement on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, while briefing journalists following an extensive inspection tour of key projects in the northern part of the state.
The tour included assessments of Government Secondary School (GSS) Gubio, two general hospitals, and ongoing housing estates in both Gubio and Magumeri Local Government Areas.
Explaining the motivation behind the hike, Zulum identified the shortage of medical personnel as a critical challenge for his administration.
“The increase in rural allowances will be a game changer because human resources for health is one of our nightmares. We have done all that we could, but there is still a dearth of medical personnel in our hospitals,” he said.
The Governor noted that investigations revealed many state-trained medical professionals prefer working for International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) due to more competitive pay.
To bridge this gap, he announced that effective January 1, 2026, all medical doctors serving in rural communities identified by the board will receive an allowance increment equal to 100% of their total salaries, while nurses and midwives will receive a 40% increment.
“I believe this will bridge the gap and ensure many will return to the hospitals in our villages,” Zulum added. “Therefore, anyone willing to serve at the general hospitals in the LGAs should report to the Hospital Management Board immediately.”
During his visit to GSS Gubio, the Governor also directed the immediate provision of modern laboratory facilities and library equipment to improve the school’s academic standards.
Governor Zulum was accompanied on the tour by the Senator representing Borno North, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, alongside House of Representatives members Usman Zannah and Engr. Bukar Talba.
Also in the delegation were the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar, and the Commissioner for Works and Housing, Engr. Mustapha Gubio, among other senior officials.
THEWILL reports that this move is part of a broader strategy by the Borno State Government to stabilize the healthcare sector in areas recovering from insurgency, where the retention of skilled professionals remains a major hurdle.
