Umaru Bako

The magnanimity of a Servant leader is the best way to describe the exceptional performancek of Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum in the transformation of the educational sector of Borno State

While Education is a Principle of human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. It delivers large, consistent returns in terms of income, and is the most important factor to ensure equity and inclusion

For individuals, education promotes employment, earnings, health, and poverty reduction. Globally, it drives long-term economic growth, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion.

The Borno State Government Established the Education Trust Fund which was backed by the Established Law of the State House of Assembly, cited as “Borno State Education Trust Fund Law 2019” and was assented into law on 2nd December, 2019. The Board was inaugurated on 24th January, 2020.
The Borno State Education Trust Fund as provided by the establishment Law has the following provision or maintenance as mandate:
– Essential physical for teaching and learning.
– Instructional materials and equipment.
– Research and publications.
Academic staff training and development, and
– Any other need which in the opinion of the Board is critical and essential for development and improvement of quality and maintenance of standards in schools and Educational Institutions in the state.

In addition to above, the Board is also charged with the mandate of raising funds and building partnerships necessary nationally and internationally for the accomplishment of the tasks enunciated by the Law establishing it.

As a result of over a decade long insurgency, the entire Education Infrastructure were destroyed. It was rather myopic to think of salvaging the challenges of the dilapidated educational infrastructures within the traditional line budget. Hence the Establishment of the State Education Trust Fund to address the numerous challenges of education in accordance with the United Nation declaration for the achievement of Education for All and Sustainable Development Goals and particularly the state’s 25-year Development Framework and 10 Year Strategic Transformation Plan.

Prof . Zulum also completed 24 mega schools across the state.

While 1, 000 trained teachers have also been engaged by the state government to facilitate teaching in the schools,

Zulum also Inaugurated two mega schools, in Biu LGA and over 600 classrooms to accommodate an increasing number of children that are out of school.

There was also the construction of 350 primary and post-primary institutions in the state.

The Governor also approves the recruitment of 5,000 teachers that would be employed to commence afternoon primary and secondary education system to address problems of congestion and increase enrollment of out-of-school children.

To which He said: “Although we have built dozens of new Mega-size schools and expanded existing schools with about 1,000 new classrooms, we are still faced with issues of congestion in classrooms, and with the worse problem of having thousands of out-of-school children despite being of school-ages.

As part of measures to improve the standard of education in Borno State. Prof. Zulum Just
Approved N50m, Accommodation For the Nigerian Army Varsity alongside the construction of staff houses and students’ hostels at the Nigerian army University Biu

The allocation of the N50 million alongside the construction of staff houses and students’ hostels at the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB) is another milestone achievement by the Borno state governor

The Governor had extended series of Similar supports to the University of Maiduguri, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Federal College of Education Gwoza, and a host of other Federal Government institutions either being set up or existing in Borno State.

The educational emancipation of Borno State by the Governor despite destruction of almost all educational institutions infrastructures and facilities by insurgents is a remarkable one as the Borno State University today remain the University with the cheapest Fees and free transportation for the students making the State to have a total of 8 tertiary institutions spread across all its senatorial zones.