The Gombe State Executive Council (SEC), presided over by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has approved contracts worth more than N15 billion for the construction of township roads in Billiri and Kaltungo Local Government Areas.
The approvals were among several decisions reached at the Council’s 55th meeting on August 7, 2026, as the state government intensified infrastructure development, education reforms, youth empowerment, agricultural support and urban renewal.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Culture, Moses Kyari Bolda, said the decisions reflected the administration’s commitment to consolidating its development agenda in the final phase of its tenure.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Usman Maijama’a Kallamu, said N7.29 billion was approved for the construction of Kaltungo Township Road, while N8.75 billion was approved for Billiri Township Road.
He explained that both projects were initially awarded in 2022 but could not commence because of compensation-related issues. The latest approvals, he said, were adjusted to reflect prevailing market realities and would facilitate the immediate execution of the projects.
The Council also approved N414.3 million for the repair of washouts caused by recent heavy rainfall at the Brigadier Zakari Maimalari International Airport, Gombe.
Another N891.1 million was approved for the grading, surfacing and asphalting of the Mararaban Kuri–Kuri Town Road, which the government said had deteriorated significantly.
On education, the Commissioner for Education, Aishatu Maigari, disclosed that the Council approved N998 million for the procurement of 22,000 mattresses and beddings for students in mega schools and other boarding institutions across the state.
She said the initiative was aimed at improving the learning environment and welfare of boarding students.
The Council also adopted recommendations from the Task Force Committee on the Reforms and Revitalisation of Basic and Technical Education in Gombe State.
The committee was inaugurated by Governor Inuwa Yahaya on November 17, 2025, to examine challenges confronting basic and technical education and recommend reforms.
According to Maigari, one of the key recommendations adopted by the Council is the Gombe Basic Education and Skills Transformation (GOBEST) initiative.
She described GOBEST as a flagship programme designed to reposition basic and technical education while creating a stronger pathway for skills development and human capital development in the state.
The Council also adopted the Gombe State Strategic Youth Policy, which the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mika Hamman, described as a major framework for coordinating youth development programmes across the state.
Hamman said young people constitute more than 60 per cent of Gombe’s population, making youth development central to the state’s long-term development strategy.
He said the policy would consolidate existing youth-focused interventions while addressing unemployment through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, capacity building and other human capital development programmes.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Waziri, pledged his ministry’s commitment to implementing the policy, saying it would help address challenges affecting young people and consolidate gains recorded in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Council approved several urban infrastructure projects, including the installation of solar-powered street lights on major roads.
The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Muhammad Saidu Fawu, said 198 solar-powered street lights would be installed along the four-kilometre corridor linking the Hajj Camp to the Brigadier Zakari Maimalari International Airport, including internal airport roads.
The project was approved at a cost of N400.4 million.
The Council also ratified the installation of double-arm solar-powered street lights along the Ashaka Junction–Federal College of Education axis and adjoining roads around the city centre.
The project, valued at N1.08 billion, was awarded to Mega Tech Consult Nigeria Limited.
Fawu further disclosed that N839.4 million was approved for the renovation and furnishing of facilities at the Brigadier Zakari Maimalari International Airport.
He said the project would cover the rehabilitation of critical airport infrastructure and the repair and restoration of the airport’s fire service truck.
The intervention, according to him, is expected to improve airport operations, strengthen emergency response and support compliance with aviation safety standards.
In agriculture, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Waziri Muhammad, said the state government had commenced arrangements for the distribution of 200,000 bags of high-quality fertiliser to farmers across the state.
He said the fertiliser intervention was part of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s commitment to boosting agricultural production and strengthening food security.
According to him, about 80 per cent of the fertiliser had already been distributed across the state’s 11 local government areas to ensure farmers have timely access to the inputs during the current farming season.
He added that the remaining allocation would be distributed to large- and medium-scale farmers, registered farmer groups, associations and other eligible beneficiaries in line with the approved distribution framework.
The latest SEC decisions cover key sectors including roads, education, youth development, aviation, urban infrastructure and agriculture, as the Gombe government moves to deepen ongoing development programmes and introduce new policy frameworks ahead of the conclusion of the administration’s tenure.
