Sokoto mandates two-year rural service for state-sponsored health workers

The Sokoto State Government has rolled out a mandatory two-year rural service scheme for all medical professionals trained under its sponsorship.

This move is a strategic effort to bridge the health worker gap in underserved communities.

The initiative, announced by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar, targets doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health workers, mandating them to serve in rural health facilities upon graduation. This move, he said, follows a comprehensive needs assessment that highlighted the critical imbalance in health personnel distribution across the state.

“Too many of our professionals are concentrated in urban centers, while rural areas suffer from a dire lack of qualified personnel. This policy is designed to correct that imbalance,” Dr. Abubakar told journalists during a media briefing in Sokoto on Tuesday.

The Commissioner emphasized that the rural postings would not come without incentives. Each health worker deployed under the scheme will receive a 10% salary bonus, access to upgraded health infrastructure, and enhanced security measures to support their service in remote areas.

“We’re not just sending people to rural communities; we’re making those places attractive to work in,” Dr. Abubakar added. “Our goal is to motivate them to stay even after their mandatory service period.”

The policy is part of a broader health sector reform agenda under Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration, aimed at revamping the state’s ailing healthcare system. One of the standout achievements of the administration is the alignment of salaries for state-employed medical personnel with those paid at the federal level—a move that has been widely praised by medical professionals and organized labour.

The Commissioner disclosed that since the implementation of the new salary structure, several medical workers who had previously submitted resignation letters have withdrawn them, opting to remain in service due to improved welfare conditions.

“Healthcare delivery is a team effort. From doctors and nurses to cleaners and technicians, every hand counts,” he said, while acknowledging the support of professional bodies such as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), both of which have commended the government’s commitment to staff welfare.

The rural service model has already begun to attract attention from other sectors, with the state’s education ministry reportedly considering a similar initiative to address teacher shortages in remote areas.

“These reforms are not just fixing today’s problems; they are laying a sustainable foundation for a healthier, more equitable future for Sokoto State,” Dr. Abubakar affirmed.

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