Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Federal Kidney Disease Centre in the state to tackle the growing burden of chronic kidney disease among residents. The governor made the call on Thursday during the commissioning of the permanent site of the Biomedical Science Research Centre (BioRTC) at Yobe State University, Damaturu. He described kidney disease as a serious public health challenge that requires urgent national attention.

Governor Buni said his administration remains committed to addressing the health needs of the people through evidence-based policies and targeted investments. He disclosed that the state government has continued to support dialysis treatment for kidney patients and plans to establish an additional dialysis centre in Gashua this year. According to him, the move is aimed at reducing the hardship faced by patients who currently travel long distances to access care.

The governor also highlighted the innovative work being carried out at the BioRTC, particularly the development of low-cost diagnostic tools that can strengthen healthcare delivery at the community level. He urged the Federal Ministry of Health to partner with the centre to expand the use of affordable diagnostic solutions, especially for malaria and other diseases common in rural areas. He noted that such collaboration would allow innovations from Yobe to contribute to national healthcare practices.

Commending the centre’s role in capacity building, Buni said BioRTC has trained over 1,000 people from Yobe, across Nigeria and other African countries through workshops, summer schools and international programmes. He expressed optimism that stronger federal support and partnerships would help improve health outcomes in underserved regions and save lives across the state.