Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has announced a new initiative to combat low school enrollment in the state’s northern region.
The plan includes providing free daily meals and cash incentives totalling N300,000 for students and their parents.
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The announcement came yesterday in Gajiganna, during the inauguration of a new Higher Islamic College.
The college is designed to integrate traditional Islamic learning with a modern curriculum.
Zulum emphasised the urgent need to address the education gap in the area, which has been heavily impacted by over a decade of insurgency.
“We must establish deliberate measures to promote education in northern Borno,” he said, noting that a town with an estimated population of 50,000 had only 90 students enrolled in its secondary school.
To encourage families to send their children to school, the new program will provide a stipend of N250,000 for fathers, N50,000 for mothers, and N50,000 for each student.
This is in addition to one free daily meal for the students. Zulum explained that the intervention is aimed at ensuring these students not only enrol but also complete their studies.
The newly commissioned Higher Islamic College will operate under a curriculum approved by the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS).
It will combine traditional Islamic education with core subjects like science, mathematics, technology, and foundational English.
“Our goal is clear: to provide our children, especially Sangaya learners, with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in today’s world,” Zulum stated.
He added that the reforms aim to “safeguard the cherished values of traditional Islamic scholarship while introducing modern subjects and vocational training.”
In addition to the college, Zulum also inaugurated a Government Day Secondary School in Gajiganna, which will serve as a feeder school for local primary school graduates.
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The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Lawan Wakilbe, praised the governor’s efforts, highlighting that his administration has built 104 mega schools over the past six years, with 35 more currently under construction.
The event was attended by several notable officials, including Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno and other senior government officials.
