Borno school enrollment hits 1.4m – Zulum

• Commissions major projects without fanfare

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maduguri

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, said school enrolment figures in the state had increased to 1.4 million as of December last year.

Zulum disclosed this yesterday during the commissioning of a 30-classroom mega junior secondary school in Maiduguri, the state capital.

He said his administration focused on critical sectors such as education, security, health, agriculture and food security, as well as the rebuilding of infrastructure following the severe impact of over a decade of insurgency on the state. He noted that the government decided to invest heavily in education, leading to an increase in school enrolment.

He explained that the urgency of the investments was reflected in the findings of the World Bank-supported Recovery and Peace Building Assessment.

He disclosed that the assessment revealed that over 5,000 classrooms were destroyed in the state, leaving approximately 2.2 million children out of school at the peak of the crisis.

“In response, our administration has constructed 104 new schools and rehabilitated 2,931 classrooms and related facilities.

“These interventions have reduced the number of out-of-school children by over 70 percent, bringing the figure to fewer than 800,000, while school enrolment has increased to over 1.4 million children as of December 2025,” he said.

He commended the World Bank for its support for the recovery programme in the state.

He earlier commissioned a Command Boarding Secondary School, a Technology and Innovation School, and a flyover within the city’s business district without any fanfare.

World Bank Country Director, Dr Mathew Verghis, said the schools commissioned were not mere structures of classrooms but platforms for young people in the communities to make a statement about their choices and future.

He said the people of Borno are known for seeking knowledge and urged the students not to allow the tragedies of the past to limit their potential and dreams in life. He promised that the World Bank would continue to partner with Borno State and Nigeria.