Jigawa State Government has lifted the recruitment embargo in a bid to curb the growing brain drain affecting the state’s 27 local government councils.
The Chairman of the Jigawa State Local Government Service Commission, DIG Uba Bala Ringim (rtd), disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the commission’s 2025 achievements at its conference room.
Ringim said the decision followed a significant loss of manpower across local government councils and Local Education Authorities (LEAs), largely due to retirements and deaths.
He noted that in 2025 alone, the commission promoted 1,682 staff and organised 163 workshops and seminars aimed at strengthening professionalism, efficiency and institutional capacity at the grassroots level.
According to him, 628 staff retired from service within the year across local government councils and LEAs, while 72 local government staff and 83 LEA staff died. In addition, 704 LEA staff also retired from service during the period.
“Frequent retirements without prompt replacement have continued to weaken the administrative capacity of local governments,” Ringim said.
He explained that the commission currently has a workforce of 6,322 staff, representing about a 20 per cent reduction due to retirement and death in 2025.
Ringim further revealed that the Jigawa State Government has approved the recruitment of additional local government staff in 2026 to strengthen staffing levels and improve service delivery across the councils.
Usman Mohammed Zaria
