Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has on Monday commissioned three major projects in Gwoza Local Government Area of southern Borno.
The projects include the state-of-the-art Gwoza College of Nursing and Midwifery, a block of 20 modern teachers’ quarters, and 200 lock-up shops at the Gwoza Main Market.
Speaking at the event, the governor said:
“Today, we gather to consciously shift the narrative. We have gathered too many times to mourn, rebuild from ashes, and commemorate our losses. But today, we gather for a different reason. Today, we gather to invest in life.”
“We are here to commission an institution whose sole purpose is to preserve life, nurture it, and celebrate it. We are here to officially open the doors of tGohe Gwoza College of Nursing and Midwifery,” he added
The governor described the college as a milestone in the state’s healthcare development.
“In the years to come, when the history of our recovery and renaissance is written, let this day be remembered as a pivotal moment,” he said.
He explained that the college is equipped with modern laboratories, a well-stocked library, simulation rooms, and modern classroom furniture, all designed to address the shortage of skilled healthcare professionals.
“For years, we have diagnosed a critical ailment in our healthcare system; a severe deficit of these skilled hands could not allow us to move forward. We have relied on a precarious model of importing professionals from other regions, a temporary fix that is neither sustainable nor dignified. It is a model that leaves us perpetually vulnerable. Today, we move from diagnosis to treatment. We move from identifying the problem to implementing a permanent cure,” governor Zulum said.
In addition to the nursing college, Zulum inaugurated 20 teachers’ quarters to improve teacher welfare and 200 market shops to support commerce and increase the state’s internally generated revenue.
The governor also announced the approval for the recruitment of 50 nurses at the General Hospital in Gwoza.
He made the announcement while paying homage to the Emir of Gwoza, Ideissa Shehu Timta, at his palace.
“The recruitment became imperative to provide enough manpower at the General Hospital, which will serve as a reference center for the students at the new nursing college,” he said.
