By Fatima Haruna (9News Nigeria, Maiduguri)
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has said the number of out-of-school children in the state has dropped from over two million seven years ago to about 800,000, following sustained investments in education recovery.
Zulum disclosed this on Thursday when he received the African Union Chairperson’s Special Envoy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, at Government House, Maiduguri.
He said his administration had invested heavily in school reconstruction, teacher recruitment and expanded learning opportunities, with particular focus on vulnerable children and girls, as part of the transition from humanitarian response to recovery, stabilisation and long-term development.
Despite the progress, the Governor said about 800,000 children remain out of school and require urgent support to return to the classroom.
“Education is the bedrock for any meaningful development, and therefore one area that we need support from the African Union is to increase access for out-of-school children to be enrolled in schools,” Zulum said.
He pledged to deepen partnership with the AU to expand access for the remaining children, stressing that education and child protection are critical to peace and sustainable development.
“The protection of children is not merely a humanitarian obligation. It is a strategic investment in peace, security and sustainable development,” he said.
Zulum identified education, psychosocial support, skills development and community acceptance as key to recovering and reintegrating children affected by conflict, and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to safe, inclusive learning and the Safe Schools Declaration.
He also linked the out-of-school crisis to health and livelihood gaps, calling for AU support to strengthen primary healthcare in communities with limited access to tertiary facilities, and to improve nutrition services for children.
“Our children deserve better attention. The issue of malnutrition is also there among our own society,” he said.
He further called for economic empowerment for mothers and families to help meet children’s educational and nutritional needs.
“Enhancing the means of livelihood of the mothers will no doubt reduce the vulnerability of the children,” he added.
In her remarks, AU Special Envoy, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, commended Borno’s efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate children affected by insurgency, saying the model offers lessons for other African countries.
“We have to take back to the African Union member states the amazing work that is being done here in Borno State,” she said.
She said her visits to the Bulumkutu Interim Care Centre and Muna Vocational Centre and engagements with the First Lady, Associate Professor Falmata Babagana Umara Zulum, gave her insight into the state’s interventions.
Jagne disclosed that the AU delegation brought educational materials for over 1,000 children and hygiene supplies for adolescent girls undergoing reintegration, and assured of continued collaboration with Borno on education recovery, youth empowerment, child protection and peacebuilding.
