BY JAPHET JOSHUA NNAEMEKA, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026 | 09:49 AM

School enrollment in Borno State has risen to 1,801,295 learners, more than twice the 766,551 recorded in the 2017/2018 academic year, according to the latest Annual School Census.

The census, released in September 2026, shows an increase in enrollment since Governor Babagana Umara Zulum took office in 2019.

The state government attributed the growth to the construction of 104 mega schools, rehabilitation of classrooms, recruitment of teachers and support for children affected by conflict and displacement.

Education officials also said the number of out-of-school children has dropped from an estimated 2.2 million at the height of the insurgency to fewer than 800,000.

The increase comes as the Zulum administration expands spending on education while also investing in housing, health care and other infrastructure across the state.

The government has constructed more than 20 higher Islamic colleges that combine academic subjects, vocational training, digital literacy and Islamic studies under the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies curriculum.

The colleges are located in communities including Gwoza, Monguno and Shafa, with the government presenting them as an alternative pathway for young people to gain formal education and vocational skills.

The government has also announced plans to expand nursing schools and establish more Islamic colleges as part of efforts to increase access to education and address health workforce needs.

Beyond education, the administration says it has completed more than 1,200 capital projects across Borno.

Housing projects include estates for returning displaced residents, with 500-unit developments in Nguro-Soye in Bama Local Government Area, Logumani, Dalwa and Aulari among the recent projects.

Some of the estates include schools, primary health care centers, boreholes and access roads, according to the government.

The administration says the projects are supporting the return and resettlement of internally displaced people and has set a target of closing the remaining IDP camps by the end of 2026.

Borno has also expanded its health infrastructure, with eight new general hospitals completed in Magumeri, Mafa, Gubio, Dikwa, Uba, Damboa, Hawul and Kwaya Kusar.

More than 80 primary health care centers have also been renovated or upgraded, according to the state government.

In September, Zulum commissioned a 42-room patients’ apartment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital to provide accommodation for relatives of patients traveling from distant communities.

The state government has also supported the teaching hospital with staff housing, medical supplies, kidney transplant services, maternal health programs and assistance following flooding.

Zulum has described the projects as part of a 25-year development plan and a 10-year strategic framework intended to provide continuity beyond his tenure, which ends in May 2027.

The broader strategy, known as the ‘Borno Model,’ focuses on reconstruction, rehabilitation, resettlement, deradicalization and reintegration.

State officials also say hundreds of thousands of former fighters and their families have left the conflict through non-kinetic programs, although the full figure has not been independently verified.

The government’s development programs have continued alongside support for security operations, including funding and logistics for the Civilian Joint Task Force and calls for stronger military operations against insurgents.

Zulum has also continued to visit communities affected by the conflict and areas where security operations are ongoing.

Despite the increase in school enrollment and public infrastructure, insecurity remains a challenge in parts of Borno.

Attacks, roadside ambushes, improvised explosive devices and abductions continue in some rural communities, particularly near the state’s borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Some communities where displaced residents have returned have also faced renewed security threats, resulting in further displacement in some cases.

Observers have raised questions about the quality and sustainability of the gains, including teacher retention in remote areas, maintenance of new facilities and the ability of future administrations to sustain the programs.

Humanitarian organizations also continue to report needs among communities affected by the insurgency and displacement.

For the state government, the expansion of schools and public services is part of a broader effort to restore services and create opportunities in communities affected by the conflict.

With Zulum’s tenure entering its final year, the long-term impact of the investments will depend on security conditions, funding and the ability of future administrations to maintain them.

Note: Japhet Joshua Nnaemeka is a 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State.