Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has called for political unity, continued investment and long-term planning as the state marks its 30th anniversary. He said the state’s future should not depend on the ambitions of any individual or political party.
Yahaya made the appeal as he reflected on Gombe’s development since its creation on October 1, 1996. He urged political leaders, traditional and religious institutions, young people and other residents to approach the 2027 transition peacefully and put the state’s interests first.
He said successive administrations had contributed to Gombe’s development, describing governance as a relay in which each government builds on the work of its predecessors. He also acknowledged the state’s pioneer administrators and former governors Abubakar Habu Hashidu, Mohammed Danjuma Goje and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo.
The governor said his administration’s 10-year development agenda, DEVAGOM, was intended to advance people-centred governance through institutional reform, strategic investment and inclusive development. He listed progress across education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, industry, electricity, environmental protection and public service.
In education, Yahaya said the government had built or renovated more than 2,000 classrooms in over 400 schools, constructed four mega colleges and hired 1,000 teachers. He said the Better Education Service Delivery for All programme had helped return 350,000 out-of-school children to education, while integrated Almajiri and Tsangaya schools had been established in all 11 local government areas.
He also cited two new faculties at Gombe State University and the creation of the Gombe State Education Trust Fund as measures to support tertiary education.
In healthcare, Yahaya said 228 primary healthcare centres had been built or renovated to provide two functional facilities in each of the state’s 114 political wards. He said the GoHealth scheme covered more than 400,000 people, including about 100,000 vulnerable residents, and that the government had recruited 440 healthcare workers.
On infrastructure, the governor said the Network 11-100 programme had supported the construction or rehabilitation of more than 1,000 kilometres of roads. He also highlighted the Gombe City Centre Underpass, the Northern Bypass, 550 homes built through Family Homes Funds and another 500 developed with the North-East Development Commission.
Yahaya said the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park and the Renewed Hope Agro-Industrial Hub were designed to attract investment, expand manufacturing and strengthen agricultural trading and processing. He also pointed to electricity projects, including a completed one-megawatt Talasse solar mini-grid and additional mini-grid developments intended to connect 80 communities.
The governor said his administration had introduced a N70,000 minimum wage for state and local government workers and paid more than N44 billion in pensions and gratuities, including N21 billion inherited from the previous government. He also cited the creation of 13 Local Council Development Areas and security initiatives involving government agencies, traditional institutions and communities.
Yahaya acknowledged that significant challenges remained, noting that the state had faced national and global pressures, including the COVID-19 pandemic, economic downturns, fiscal constraints and insecurity in the wider region. He called for long-term planning, technological innovation, private-sector partnerships and continuity in public policy.
“The future of Gombe State must always be greater than the ambitions of any individual or political party,” he said.
As the 2027 elections approach, Yahaya urged residents and political stakeholders to preserve peace and work towards shared development.
“I therefore appeal to all our political leaders, traditional institutions, religious leaders, young people and citizens across the state to approach the coming transition with a spirit of peace, responsibility and shared commitment to our common future,” he said.
The governor also announced a commemorative book, *Gombe State: Thirty Years of Promise and Progress, 1996–2026*, documenting the state’s creation, institutions, successive administrations and development prospects. He said the next three decades should focus on consolidating the foundations laid so far and securing prosperity for future generations.