The Borno State government has approved a ₦1.6 billion fund to rehabilitate 33 educational institutions affected by recent floods across the state. The schools, located in Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, Konduga, Chibok, and Damboa Local Government Areas, will benefit from this funding to restore damaged infrastructure and create safe, conducive learning environments for students.
The announcement was made on Saturday by the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Lawan Abba-Wakilbe, in Maiduguri. He emphasized that the rehabilitation efforts aim to address the damages caused by the floods and ensure that students can continue their education without disruption.
Abba-Wakilbe expressed gratitude to Governor Babagana Zulum for his steadfast commitment to the education sector and commended the resilience of school administrators in the aftermath of the disaster. He assured stakeholders that the implementation process would be transparent and efficient.
The ₦1.6 billion will be distributed directly to the affected schools under the management of School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), which have a strong track record of successfully managing projects. The funds will be allocated based on the extent of damage suffered by each institution, with each school receiving an amount proportional to the repairs required.
In addition to rehabilitating schools, the initiative will also support the state library board and the scholarship board. To ensure the proper use of the funds, a monitoring team has been established, and plans are in place to hire an auditor and financial consultant to oversee the project’s implementation.
Abba-Wakilbe also urged schools without operational accounts to open one immediately to facilitate the disbursement process.
The initiative has been met with widespread praise from educational stakeholders. Abba Bukar, chairman of the SBMC, Abba Ali Ladan, chairman of ANCOPS, and Mala Kulloma, representing the Education Secretaries Forum, all lauded the government’s swift action. They described the approval as a significant step toward restoring normalcy to the education sector and reaffirming the state’s commitment to its students’ futures.
