September 10, (THEWILL) — Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Wednesday commissioned three major healthcare projects in Monguno, northern Borno, including an eye hospital, a dental hospital, and a nursing college.
Speaking at the event, Zulum said the nursing college was established to address the shortage of healthcare workers, particularly in rural communities across the state.
The governor said, “What matters is not only the construction of facilities, but the human resources for health that will ensure quality service delivery.
“This nursing college will train young people in nursing, midwifery, and allied health courses to fill the manpower gap, not only in this region but across Borno State.”
The newly opened eye hospital is equipped with modern diagnostic and surgical tools to tackle conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and trachoma, which often lead to preventable blindness.
The facility will also provide free eye surgeries for 5,000 less privileged people in northern Borno.
Similarly, the dental hospital will offer services ranging from basic check-ups and fillings to advanced procedures, addressing what the governor described as a long-neglected area of healthcare in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health and Human Resources, Prof. Baba Mallam Gana, commended Zulum’s administration for prioritising healthcare, noting that the state consistently meets the Abuja Declaration benchmark of allocating at least 15 percent of its budget to the health sector.
Meanwhile, Governor Zulum approved N3bn for the construction of a specialist hospital in Monguno, which will serve as a referral centre for the 10 local government areas in northern Borno.
Zulum announced “The project will cost the state about three billion naira for construction alone, excluding equipment.
When completed, it will be fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as MRI and CT scans, similar to what we have in Maiduguri. We also plan to introduce residency training for doctors here in Monguno to address manpower shortages.”
