Borno State has made monumental progress in addressing the humanitarian crisis within its borders, with Governor Babagana Umara Zulum confirming the resettlement of over two million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Speaking at News Central TV’s Town Hall event, Governor Zulum commended the concerted efforts that led to this milestone.
“I’m not here to eulogise my humble self,” Governor Zulum stated, “but I want to commend the federal government of Nigeria. I want to commend the government of Borno State and indeed the resilient people of Borno State for all these achievements.”
He elaborated on the comprehensive approach taken, noting that “Under the peace-building, social cohesion and stability, thousands of people of Borno State have received livelihood support, both from governmental and non-governmental organisations.”
A key aspect of this recovery has been the rebuilding of shattered communities. The Governor revealed, “Under the reconstruction rehabilitation of the settlement, nothing fewer than about 300,000 homes were rehabilitated and reconstructed, as well as constructed. Many communities were resettled back. In addition to this, close to more than 2 million IDPs were resettled back home.”
Governor Zulum also shed light on the strategic decision to close official IDP camps, particularly in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
“In Maiduguri Metropolitan Council alone, 12 official IDP camps were closed. Hitherto, Maiduguri was full of IDP camps, littered all over,” he explained.
The decision, he clarified, was driven by pressing concerns: “The Government has taken the decisive steps in order to close the IDP camps because of the following reasons. There is an increasing prostitution in the IDP camps. There is increasing drug abuse in the IDP camps. And then we felt it’s no longer sustainable for the Nigerian Government to keep people in the IDP camps because of the resources from the developing partners as well as from the IDPs. So the only solution we have is to resettle them in a dignified manner and provide them with means of livelihood.”
Beyond housing and livelihood support, the state has also prioritised social services. Governor Zulum highlighted significant investments in education and health.
“From 2015 to date, more than 200 mega schools were built in Borno State.”
He further clarified the scale of these educational facilities: “I believe you understood with what we mean by mega schools. Schools that have carrying capacity of nothing less than 2,000. And what we did is not only providing the infrastructure, we recruited teachers.”
The commitment to quality education extended to staffing and welfare: “The Commission of Education and indeed other people that are here can bear witness that we recruited more than 3,000 teachers. We trained all teachers and then we implemented minimum wage to all teachers across all levels in Borno State.”
