Years of insurgency, floods and mass displacement have tested Yobe’s institutions. The man who coordinated much of the response to them, Dr Mohammed Goje, 46, is now the youngest person to hold the office of Secretary to the State Government. I believe this is the right call, and not because of his age.
For too long, senior appointments across Nigeria have rewarded loyalty and longevity over delivery. Goje’s record points the other way. He trained as a veterinarian, ran a prison farm, then earned a master’s in epidemiology and biostatistics. Those were not random detours. They gave him skills in data, public health and management that the northeast needs.
What settles the argument is his time at the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency. From 2019 to 2026, he led humanitarian coordination with UN agencies and international NGOs. The interventions he coordinated reached more than 2 million people, including over 510,000 IDPs and returnees. He led the drafting of the state’s IDP Policy and its Durable Solutions Action Plan. Partners who owe a public servant nothing do not stay at the table for six years unless that person delivers.
His work with the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum, including coordinating its 5th meeting across eight regional states, shows he can handle politics as well as emergencies. That matters in an office whose job is to hold ministries, policy and delivery together.
Still, the appointment is acting, and a record is not a guarantee. The SSG’s office is not an emergency agency. It demands patience, negotiation and the ability to say no inside government as well as outside it. Goje will be judged on whether he can turn crisis-management habits into routine, reliable governance.
If he does, Yobe will have proved a point many Nigerians have argued for years: put capable people in the right seats and results follow. Other states should take note.
Muhammad Kukuri is a writer from Yobe State, with keen interest in Nigerian politics and journalism. He can be reached at 07062733187, mohkukuri@gmail.com
