By Gbenga Akingbule
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday, commissioned six new Secondary Schools as part of measures to boost access to quality education and reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Governor also launched the distribution back to school materials such as Books, Uniforms, school bags and other items to ease learning for 100,000 students who will be enrolled in public schools across the state for the 2024/2025 academic session.
The commissioning of the six schools spread across the densely populated areas of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and environs, according to the Governor, is part of the 52 schools built in many parts of the state through a loan facility secured by the Borno State Government from the World Bank and being implemented by the Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning and Entrepreneurship ( AGILE ) project.
The loan facility according to Governor Zulum is expected to be paid back within a period of 25 years and a 5 year moratorium.
Prof Zulum, who spoke at the elaborate occasion to commission. Government Day Secondary School- a school that had been operating at a temporary site since its establishment in 1980, said his administration is leaving no stone unturned in its genuine quest to revamp the education sector.
The Governor stated that deliberate steps are being taken to provide access to quality education for Borno children and also invest massively in training and retraining of teachers in the state.
To make teachers more comfortable and discharge their duties effectively, Governor Zulum said his administration is also considering the construction of befitting accommodation for teachers in remote areas close to locations of the new schools.
” When we took over the mantle of leadership as Government of Borno state,, we decided to provide access to ensure children’s enrollment in schools. Boko Haram insurgency has created a severe gap in that direction. So, AGILE was meant to breach the education gap, especially in girl-child education.
“I believe after I complete my tenure, the next Governor if he wants to work, I think he will divert most of his attention to service delivery because I would have done so much in the construction of schools in Borno State,” Zulm said.
The governor explained that out of the 52 schools being built under the AGILE project, only five schools are yet to be constructed adding that the “state government will soon commence the construction to the five schools- they are High Islamic Schools and would be sited in five local government areas of Chibok, Marte, Gwoza, Bama and in Benishiek in Kaga local government area.
“What we’re looking for is to see how we shall intensify intensive literacy, intensive numeracy, digital literacy and above all technical and vocational education in these schools. ” Zulum said .
The National Project Coordinator Hajia, Amina Haruna commended the state government for its giant strides at revamping the education sector saying that the state is one of the best out of the18 AGILE implementation states.
She stated that the AGILE project is aimed at ensuring enrolment, retention, and completion of secondary schools by adolescent girls through the renovation of existing schools’ infrastructure and also the building of new classrooms.
Hajia Amina added “We are constructing separate functional WASH facilities – Water, Sanitation And Hygiene – Toilets for girls in all our secondary schools in the implementing states to make girls comfortable.
” AGILE in recognition of the nexus between poverty and education, especially in the rural communities, have designed financial incentives called the conditional cash transfer for the poorest household to help our adolescent girls enrol, retain and complete secondary school education in all our 18 implementing states,” AGILE National Project Coordinator said.
The Borno State Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engineer Lawan Wakilbe said the state government has since 2019 under the Zulum-led administration built over one hundred schools to provide access to quality education for Borno children.
Wakilbe assured the Governor of his Ministriy’s ” unwavering commitment towards the revamping of the education sector in Borno State.”
