From Usman Abubakar Maiduguri
About 70 percent of the children locked out of the formal school system by Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State have been enrolled in schools over the last six years, the State Commissioner of Education, Engr Lawan Abba Wakilbe, has disclosed.
He attributed the development to the construction of major education infrastructure across the state, including 104 Mega Schools, the rehabilitation and remodelling of 1,087 classrooms, extensive works in 40 additional schools as well as the restoration of thirty (30) flood-affected schools, and several SUBEB-led classroom projects with sufficient restoration of security from 2019 to 2025.
“These efforts have reduced the number of out-of-school children in Borno State from 2,200,000 to fewer than 800,000,” he stated during the commissioning of Higher Islamic College at Gubio, Tuesday, December 30.
Wakilbe reviewed the total primary and secondary schools enrolment over the last six years, saying, “Today, we have 1,080,473 learners enrolled in 812 public primary schools and 129 public senior secondary schools,” adding, “When combined with enrolment in private schools, the total number of children currently in school across Borno State stands at 1,418,279.”
He said this figure is expected to rise further when the state governor, Prof Babagana Zulum commissions a completed set of 21 more mega schools.
Speaking shortly before he commissioned the college, Governor Zulum said the Borno State Arabic and Sangaya Education Board was established to coordinate reforms in Islamic and Arabic education across the state.
“Through this framework, we set a clear goal to establish at least one Higher Islamic College in each of the 27 Local Government Area,” Zulum said, adding, “I am pleased to report that 20 colleges have been completed or are at various stages of completion, while contracts for the remaining 7 have been awarded.” ENDS
