From HASSAN JIRGI, Maiduguri
Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sponsor more Borno indigenes to study medicine and allied health courses at the Federal University of Health Sciences, FUHSA, Azare, Bauchi State.
Governor Zulum made this pledge during a courtesy visit by the governing council of the university led by its Pro-chancellor, Samuel Adejare, at the Government House, Maiduguri.
The governor emphasised that his commitment to support the institution stemmed from the urgent need to produce more medical professionals, particularly in the North-East region where there is severe shortage of healthcare personnel.
“Human resources in healthcare are not only inadequate in the North-East, but across Northern Nigeria.
“There is the need for governments in the sub-region to support FUHSA so that it can produce more graduates to bridge this gap. This is why I am committed to supporting the university,” Zulum said.
As chairman of the North-East Governors Forum, Governor Zulum pledged to galvanise further support for the university by collaborating with other governors to identify areas of intervention, particularly in security, to foster the institution’s growth.
The governor also advised the vice chancellor to focus on strengthening existing programmes before expanding into new courses, ensuring that FUHSA continues to produce highly qualified medical professionals.
In his remarks, Adejare commended Governor Zulum for his continuous support.
He noted that FUHSA, a specialised university established by the federal government in 2021, began academic activities in 2022 with the aim of bridging the shortage of healthcare personnel in Nigeria.
He acknowledged Governor Zulum’s donation of N50 million to the university, which he said was used to procure state-of-the-art laboratory equipment (phantom head) for the Faculty of Dentistry.
This investment, according to him, has contributed to the faculty being rated among the best in Nigeria during a recent National Universities Commission, NUC, accreditation exercise.
In recognition of this support, the university had named the facility, Babagana Zulum Phantom Laboratory.
