Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has announced an additional N200 million donation to the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Azare, Hawul local government area, bringing the state’s total support for the federal facility to N400 million, after praising its transformation within just six months of beginning full clinical services.
Inspecting the hospital on Saturday, Zulum called its performance a model of visionary leadership, dedication and prudent management. The facility, established following President Bola Tinubu’s approval roughly a year ago, has treated nearly 4,000 patients and carried out more than 300 major orthopaedic procedures, including hip and knee replacements and complex spinal surgeries, despite reportedly operating without capital releases or overhead allocations from the federal government. As governor of Borno State, I will continue to support this institution, Zulum told hospital management, noting he had promised N50 million the previous day but was now announcing an additional N200 million to further strengthen the facility, calling the pace of development truly amazing given that the hospital only began operations six months after its approval and has achieved this much without federal capital or overhead funding, evidence, he said, of what commitment can accomplish even under severe financial constraints.
Zulum credited the hospital’s rapid progress to Medical Director Ali Ramat and the management team, along with support from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the Borno State Government, which had earlier provided N200 million to get the hospital off the ground. Though established primarily as a specialist orthopaedic centre, he noted the facility has significantly expanded into obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and other specialist care, successfully carrying out hip replacements, major fracture repairs and spinal surgeries while drawing patients from across Nigeria’s North East and neighbouring Cameroon. Apart from its core mandate as an orthopaedic hospital, he said, it is now providing gynaecological services, paediatrics and many other medical services, and we have seen successful hip replacement surgeries, major fracture operations and even spinal cord surgeries carried out here.
The governor commended the federal government, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the hospital’s management for turning the institution into a functional referral centre, expressing deep appreciation to Dr Ramat and her team, the federal government and Professor Pate for identifying the capable leadership needed to drive the institution forward. Zulum stressed that although the hospital belongs to the federal government, it serves Borno residents and neighbouring states alike, underscoring the need for collaboration across every tier of government, and noted the facility has begun generating its own revenue through service delivery despite limited resources, now receiving hundreds of patients daily from across the North East and neighbouring Cameroon. This hospital belongs to the federal government, he said, but it is serving the people of Borno State and beyond, what we need is commitment, Nigerians must work together because no government can succeed without the dedication of its people, and above all, we must remember that we are Nigerians first, and together we can move our country forward.
