27/08/2026
YOBE AT 35: OUR JOURNEY OF RESILIENCE, OUR LEGACY OF HOPE, OUR PROMISE FOR TOMORROW.
Thirty-five years ago, history opened a new chapter for our people with the creation of Yobe State. Today, as we commemorate 35 years of our existence as a State, I do so with a profound sense of gratitude to Almighty Allah, a deep appreciation for the people of Yobe, and a renewed conviction that our best days are still ahead of us.
An anniversary such as this is much more than a celebration of time. It is a moment of reflection, a moment to remember where we started, to appreciate how far we have travelled, to acknowledge the sacrifices made along the way, and to renew our collective commitment to the future we desire for our State.
The Yobe of today did not happen by accident. It is the product of the courage of our founding generation, the sacrifices of our parents and elders, the commitment of successive administrations, the dedication of our public servants, the resilience of our communities, and the determination of ordinary citizens who have continued to believe in the promise of our State.
I have had the privilege of witnessing and participating in different chapters of Yobe's journey. Through the years, I have seen our State experience moments of progress and moments of profound difficulty. I have seen communities confronted by challenges that tested the strength of our people. I have seen uncertainty, but I have also seen courage. I have seen hardship, but I have witnessed compassion. And above all, I have seen a people who refused to surrender hope. That is the Yobe I know. A resilient Yobe, a determined Yobe and hopeful Yobe. Our history has not been without challenges.
We have faced insecurity, economic hardship, environmental difficulties, infrastructural deficits and other challenges that have tested our collective resolve. At different moments, these challenges appeared formidable. But the people of Yobe have consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to rise above adversity. Our farmers returned to their fields, our teachers remained in the classrooms, our health workers continued to serve, our civil servants continued to discharge their responsibilities, our traditional rulers continued to provide guidance and stability, our women continued to sustain their families and communities and above all our young people, despite the difficulties around them, continued to dream. That spirit is perhaps the greatest story we can tell at 35.
There is something distinctive about the people of Yobe: our ability to endure without losing our dignity, to confront difficulty without abandoning hope, and to move forward even when the road ahead is uncertain.
The Yobe spirit has carried families through difficult seasons. It has sustained communities during moments of insecurity. It has encouraged our young people to pursue education and enterprise. It has inspired public servants to continue serving, often under difficult circumstances.
This is why, when I look at Yobe at 35, I do not see only the challenges we have encountered, I see possibilities, I see a State blessed with hardworking people, enormous human potential, agricultural opportunities, a rich cultural heritage and a generation of young people capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigeria's development. I see a State whose story is still being written.
As we celebrate, we must pause to honour those whose contributions made our journey possible. We must remember the founding fathers of Yobe State and all those who worked to establish the structures and institutions upon which our State was built. We must remember our past governors, legislators, public servants, traditional rulers, community leaders and citizens who served Yobe in various capacities.
We must remember those who gave their time, energy and, in some cases, their lives in the service of our people. Their contributions may not always be recorded in the headlines, but they remain part of our collective history. We owe them gratitude. But gratitude must also come with responsibility. The best way to honour those who built yesterday's Yobe is to build a better Yobe for tomorrow.
At 35, the question before us should not simply be: How far have we come? We must also ask: What kind of Yobe do we want to leave behind? That question should guide everything we do.
We must continue to place education at the centre of our development agenda. The future of Yobe will ultimately be determined by the quality of education and opportunities we provide for our children today.
We must continue to strengthen healthcare and ensure that our people have access to quality and affordable services. We must empower our farmers, support entrepreneurship and create an environment in which businesses can grow and young people can earn dignified livelihoods. We must invest in infrastructure and technology. We must strengthen our institutions. And, critically, we must continue to work for peace and security.
As Minister of Police Affairs, I have become even more convinced that there can be no meaningful development without security. A secure society creates the foundation for education, investment, agriculture, commerce and social progress. This is why strengthening Nigeria's internal security architecture and supporting the men and women who protect our communities remains a responsibility that must be shared by government and citizens alike.
Yobe's experience has taught us the enormous value of peace. We must therefore continue to support initiatives that promote security, dialogue, community cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
Perhaps no group holds a greater stake in the next chapter of Yobe's history than our young people. They are the custodians of the future we are celebrating today. Our responsibility is not merely to tell them that they are leaders of tomorrow. We must create the conditions that allow them to lead, innovate, build businesses, acquire skills, participate in governance and contribute to society today. A young person with education, skills and opportunity is an asset to the State. A young person without opportunity is a potential source of frustration. We must therefore continue to invest in our youths—not as an act of charity, but as an investment in the future of Yobe.
As we move forward, we must also protect something that is more valuable than any physical infrastructure: our unity. Political differences will always exist. So will differences of opinion, interests and perspectives. But these differences must never become greater than our common identity as Yobeans. We may come from different communities. We may belong to different political tendencies. We may have different professions and different aspirations. But we share one home. Yobe is our common heritage.
Our responsibility is therefore to build bridges, not walls; to seek understanding, not division; and to place the collective interest above personal differences. The Yobe we want cannot be built by government alone. It requires the partnership of government and citizens, traditional institutions, religious leaders, the private sector, civil society, professionals, women, young people and the entire Yobe community.
Thirty-five years is a significant milestone, but in the life of a people, it is only another chapter. The next 35 years will require even greater vision. We must aspire to a Yobe where every child has access to quality education.
A Yobe where our healthcare system continues to improve.
A Yobe where agriculture becomes increasingly productive and commercially viable.
A Yobe where young people can find meaningful opportunities.
A Yobe where businesses can thrive.
A Yobe where our communities remain peaceful and secure. A Yobe where good governance is strengthened by accountable institutions.
And, above all, a Yobe where every citizen can look toward the future with confidence.
This is not an unrealistic dream. It is a responsibility, and I believe we are capable of fulfilling it. As I reflect on these 35 years, I am reminded that public service is ultimately about people. Titles come and go, positions come and go, administrations come and go, but the impact of our service on the lives of people remains.
My journey in public service has afforded me the privilege of serving our people in different capacities. Each responsibility has reinforced one important lesson: leadership is a trust.
At 35, I therefore join every Yobean in celebrating our achievements, acknowledging our shortcomings, learning from our experiences and looking forward with renewed determination. The story of Yobe at 35 is a story of a people who have travelled through difficult terrain but refused to lose their way. It is a story of courage in the face of adversity. It is a story of communities that held one another together. It is a story of leaders and citizens who contributed, each in their own way, to the development of our State. But most importantly, it is a story that is still being written.
May Almighty Allah continue to bless Yobe State, bless our people, protect our communities, guide our leaders and grant us the wisdom and courage to serve with sincerity. May He grant peace to every community across our dear State and prosperity to every family.
Happy 35th Anniversary, Yobe State.
Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, CON
Honourable Minister of Police Affairs
Federal Republic of Nigeria
