More than 5,000 school structures were destroyed in Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has disclosed, as the state government continues its reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts across the education sector.
Zulum made the disclosure on Sunday while commissioning a flyover bridge, a major road project and two schools in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The governor said the destruction caused by the insurgency severely disrupted education in the state, leaving an estimated 2.2 million children out of school at the peak of the crisis, with fewer than 500,000 enrolled.
He added that many teachers and school administrators also lost their lives while carrying out their duties during the insurgency.
The governor said his administration’s investment in education and infrastructure was therefore part of a broader effort to rebuild the state and restore opportunities that were disrupted by years of insecurity.
“The insurgency destroyed more than 5,000 school structures, while at its peak, an estimated 2.2 million children were out of school, with fewer than 500,000 enrolled. Many teachers and school administrators also lost their lives in the course of duty,” Zulum said.
Against that background, the governor said Borno had constructed more than 120 mega schools across the state as part of efforts to improve access to quality education for children affected by the insurgency.
The projects commissioned on Sunday included Larawaram Community Senior Secondary School and Shehu Sanda Kyarimi I Primary and Junior Secondary School.
The commissioning also covered the newly constructed Post Office nine-span Flyover and the dualised 2.5-kilometre Budum Junction through Kasuwan Shanu to the NIETAL shoe factory express road, alongside a five-kilometre drainage network.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, who served as the special guest of honour and performed the symbolic cutting of the tape.
The Post Office nine-span Flyover is part of the Zulum administration’s urban renewal programme aimed at improving road infrastructure and easing movement within Maiduguri.
It is the fourth flyover constructed by the administration, while several kilometres of road networks have also been executed across the state.
Speaking at the commissioning, Sule praised Zulum for what he described as visionary leadership and sustained commitment to infrastructure and education despite the security challenges that have confronted Borno for more than a decade.
Sule said the projects demonstrated the determination of the state government to continue providing infrastructure capable of meeting the needs of residents.
“A speech was prepared for me; I wish there were no prepared speech. Because what I have seen in Borno today is worth me actually standing here and talking for two hours, commending my dear brother for the wonderful job you are doing in the area of education and infrastructure,” Sule said.
The Nasarawa governor said the combination of infrastructure and education projects showed that public investment could continue even in states that had experienced severe security challenges.
“The project we just commissioned some moments ago is a purposeful leadership and determination of the Borno State Government to provide infrastructure to meet the needs of the people,” he said.
Sule also commended Zulum for continuing to invest in education and other areas directly affecting the lives of residents despite the enormous challenges confronting the state.
“I commend you, Your Excellency, for demonstrating that even in the face of enormous challenges, government must continue to invest in its people, particularly in the education of our children, and I commend you for this wonderful job that you are doing,” he said.
In his remarks, Zulum said the newly completed infrastructure projects were not intended merely to beautify Maiduguri but were designed to improve movement, support commerce and facilitate economic activities.
He said the road projects and flyover would ease traffic congestion and make it easier for residents and businesses to move people and goods across the city.
According to the governor, improving urban infrastructure remained an important part of the state’s broader reconstruction agenda, particularly as Maiduguri continues to accommodate residents and communities affected by the insurgency.
“Today, we have formally commissioned four important projects, namely: the Larawaram Community Senior Secondary School; the Shehu Sanda Kyarimi I Primary and Junior Secondary School; the Post Office 9-Span Flyover; and the dualized 2.5-kilometre road, together with 5 kilometres of drainage, from Budum Tandari Junction to Kasuwan Shanu,” Zulum said.
The governor said the projects should be viewed against the background of the destruction caused by the insurgency and the challenges faced by the state in rebuilding its social infrastructure.
He said his administration had consequently made education one of its major priorities, particularly because the prolonged crisis deprived millions of children of access to formal learning.
Beyond conventional schools, Zulum said the government had also invested in technical and vocational education to provide young people with practical skills and improve their prospects for employment and self-reliance.
He said the disruption caused by the insurgency affected not only schooling but also livelihoods and employment opportunities, making skills acquisition an important component of the state’s recovery programme.
“We have also placed considerable emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), particularly in response to the disruption of learning, livelihoods and employment opportunities caused by the insurgency,” the governor said.
According to him, the state government has established five Vocational Enterprise Institutes and reactivated 11 Vocational Training Centres.
The administration has also established three Second Chance Skills Entrepreneurship Schools targeted at women and girls, according to the governor.
The initiatives, he said, were designed to complement conventional education by equipping young people and vulnerable groups with practical skills that could support livelihoods.
The governor said the reconstruction of schools was particularly important because of the scale of the destruction caused by the insurgency.
He said the government’s construction of more than 120 mega schools represented part of its efforts to close the education infrastructure gap and expand access to learning opportunities for children across the state.
The education investments also come against the backdrop of the large number of children who were pushed out of school during the height of the insurgency.
Zulum said rebuilding schools alone was not enough, stressing the importance of ensuring that children returned to classrooms and had access to quality education capable of preparing them for productive lives.
He said the state’s reconstruction efforts would therefore continue alongside initiatives aimed at skills development, employment and the restoration of livelihoods.
“The journey of rebuilding Borno continues, and our commitment remains unwavering: to ensure that every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to build a productive and dignified future,” Zulum said.
The governor’s remarks underline the scale of the challenge confronting Borno, where the insurgency destroyed public infrastructure and disrupted basic services while forcing millions of people from their communities.
The latest projects commissioned in Maiduguri therefore form part of a wider reconstruction programme that combines physical infrastructure with investments in education and skills development.
While the flyover and road projects are expected to improve mobility and economic activity within the state capital, the newly commissioned schools are intended to strengthen access to education for children in the city.
The five-kilometre drainage network is also expected to complement the road project by improving drainage infrastructure along the corridor.
For the Borno Government, the projects represent part of an effort to move the state beyond the devastation caused by years of insurgency and rebuild institutions and infrastructure needed for long-term development.
Sule’s participation in the commissioning also provided an opportunity for the Nasarawa governor to publicly commend Borno’s reconstruction efforts and the commitment of the Zulum administration to education and infrastructure.
The projects were commissioned as Borno continues to balance the demands of rebuilding communities affected by insecurity with the need to expand infrastructure and create opportunities for its growing population.
West Trybe reports that the commissioning of the Maiduguri projects comes as Borno intensifies efforts to rebuild an education system severely disrupted by the Boko Haram insurgency, which Governor Babagana Umara Zulum said destroyed more than 5,000 school structures and left an estimated 2.2 million children out of school at the peak of the crisis. The administration says its construction of more than 120 mega schools, alongside investments in vocational education and urban infrastructure, forms part of its broader effort to rebuild the state and create opportunities for a more stable and productive future.
