BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, OCTOBER 23, 2026/ 08:35AM
About 800,000 children are still out of school in Borno State despite sustained efforts to expand access to education in the wake of the insurgency.
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, disclosed this on Thursday when he received a delegation led by the African Union Chairperson's Special Envoy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, on a courtesy visit to Government House, Maiduguri.
Gov. Zulum said the figure represents significant progress, down from more than two million out-of-school children about seven years ago, but pledged to strengthen the state's partnership with the African Union to bring the remaining children back to classrooms.
'Education is the bedrock for any meaningful development, and therefore one area that we need support from the African Union is to increase access for out-of-school children to be enrolled in schools,' he said.
He explained that education remains central to Borno's transition from humanitarian response to recovery, stabilisation and long-term development.
The governor added that his administration has invested in school reconstruction, teacher recruitment, and expanded learning opportunities, with particular attention to vulnerable children and girls.
'The protection of children is not merely a humanitarian obligation. It is a strategic investment in peace, security and sustainable development,' he said.
He identified education, psychosocial support, skills development, and community acceptance as essential to recovering and reintegrating children affected by conflict, and reaffirmed the state's commitment to safe, inclusive learning environments and the principles of the Safe Schools Declaration.
The governor also sought support to strengthen primary healthcare in communities with limited access to tertiary facilities, identifying trained personnel, modern equipment, and nutritional services as priorities to improve children's health and tackle malnutrition.
'Our children deserve better attention. The issue of malnutrition is also there among our own society,' he said.
He stressed that protecting children also requires better economic opportunities for their mothers and families, calling for livelihood support to help households meet children's nutritional, educational and other essential needs.
'Enhancing the means of livelihood of the mothers will no doubt reduce the vulnerability of the children,' the governor added.
He welcomed the AU's education-focused interventions and reaffirmed Borno's commitment to working with the Union, the Federal Government, the United Nations, and other partners on education recovery, youth empowerment, child protection, and peacebuilding.
While responding, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne commended Gov. Zulum's administration for its efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate children affected by insurgency, saying the experience offers lessons for other African countries.
She said her engagements with the First Lady, Associate Professor Falmata Babagana Umara Zulum, and visits to the Bulumkutu Interim Care Centre and Muna Vocational Centre had allowed her to assess the state's interventions.
'We have to take back to the African Union member states the amazing work that is being done here in Borno State,' Amb Jagne said.
Ambassador Jagne said the delegation brought educational materials for more than 1,000 children, along with hygiene supplies for adolescent girls undergoing reintegration.