Insurgency destroyed over 5,000 Borno schools — Zulum

MAIDUGURI — Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has said the insurgency in the state destroyed more than 5,000 school structures and forced about 2.2 million children out of school at the peak of the crisis.

Zulum stated this on Sunday in Maiduguri while inaugurating several completed projects across the state.

The governor said the destruction of schools, coupled with the loss of teachers and school administrators, severely disrupted education in Borno.

“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,” Zulum said.

“Many teachers and school administrators lost their lives in the course of duty.”

He said his administration’s efforts to rebuild schools went beyond the construction of physical infrastructure, stressing that the objective was also to restore access to education and confidence in communities affected by the insurgency.

“Today, we have formally commissioned four important projects: the Larawaram Community Senior Secondary School; the Shehu Sanda Kyarimi I Primary and Junior Secondary School; the post office nine-span flyover; and the dualisation of the 2.5-kilometre road, together with five kilometres of drainage, from Budum Tandari Junction to Kasuwan Shanu,” he said.

Zulum added: “Rebuilding schools is beyond constructing physical structures. It is about restoring access to education, rebuilding confidence in our communities and providing our children with the opportunity to secure a better future.”

According to him, the state government invested N46,987,069,675.33 in basic and secondary education between the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.

“Today’s commissioning forms part of this broader investment, alongside 136 projects that have been completed and are awaiting commissioning,” he said.

The governor said his administration had continued to expand and improve infrastructure at public pre-primary and primary schools across the state.

He said the number of usable classrooms had increased to 5,792, while usable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, facilities rose to 4,563.

At the senior secondary level, Zulum said the number of functional schools increased from 34 across eight local government areas in 2019 to 129 across 25 LGAs by 2026.

He also said school enrolment increased from 766,551 learners in 2019 to 1,801,295 in 2026, representing an increase of more than one million learners in seven years.

Zulum attributed the growth to expanded access to education, improved public confidence and sustained investment in the sector.