Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has commissioned and handed over a newly constructed 42-room patients’ apartment to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), in a fresh intervention aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery and improving the welfare of patients and their families.
The facility, fully funded and constructed by the Borno State Government, will provide accommodation for relatives and visitors of patients receiving treatment at the tertiary health institution, particularly those travelling from distant parts of the state and neighbouring communities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Zulum said the project formed part of his administration’s sustained commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure and ensuring more humane conditions for patients and their families accessing medical services.
The intervention is the latest in a series of support initiatives by the Borno State Government for UMTH, a major referral centre serving Borno and the wider North-East.
Zulum had earlier provided a N100 million intervention to support the hospital in addressing funding gaps for medical consumables and other critical needs. His administration also constructed 24 three-bedroom residential apartments for medical personnel to ease accommodation challenges and enable healthcare workers to live closer to the hospital.
The governor has also approved N1 billion in financial support for kidney transplant and maternal health services at UMTH, while the institution received an additional N500 million intervention following the 2024 flood disaster.
The interventions underscore the state government’s policy of supporting federal institutions operating in Borno where such facilities have a direct impact on the welfare, healthcare and security of residents.
Beyond the health sector, the Zulum administration has provided infrastructure and housing support to the University of Maiduguri and distributed thousands of patrol vehicles to security agencies and formations to strengthen security operations across the state.
The governor has also approved hundreds of millions of naira in take-off grants for the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare; Federal Polytechnic, Monguno; and the Federal College of Education, Gwoza.
The Chief Medical Director of UMTH, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, expressed appreciation to the governor for his sustained interventions, saying the support had continued to strengthen the hospital’s capacity to deliver quality healthcare and improve the working environment for medical personnel.
Zulum was accompanied to the commissioning by the Acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Babagana Mallumbe, commissioners, special advisers and other senior government officials.
The handover of the 42-room patients’ lodge marks another milestone in the Borno State Government’s efforts to complement federal investment in critical institutions and expand access to quality healthcare for residents of the state and the wider North-East.
