BY MUSA IDRIS UMAR,
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has unveiled plans to rehabilitate all remand homes and correctional facilities in the state.
This announcement was made during the presentation of the 2025 'budget of recovery and continuity' at the State House of Assembly.
The government's plans extend beyond infrastructure upgrades, with a focus on revitalizing skills acquisition centers in the three senatorial zones of Biu, Monguno, and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC).
These centers will provide training opportunities for vulnerable women and widows in various skills, empowering them to become economically independent.
Women and children have been disproportionately affected by the over a decade-long Boko Haram crisis in Borno State.
Many women have lost their husbands during the conflict, leaving them as sole caregivers for their children. Some women were forced into marriage during their captivity and gave birth to children whose fathers they cannot identify.
As a result, these women and their children face significant challenges in accessing basic necessities like food, shelter, healthcare and education.
To address these challenges, the ministry of women affairs and social development has been allocated a substantial budget of N9,380,109,000.00.
In the previous year, the ministry focused on rehabilitating Boko Haram insurgents, empowering the visually impaired, and providing skills training to women.
It also ensured the provision of social services at government remand homes and correctional facilities.