Zulum Offers N300,000 Stipend And Free Meals To Boost Student Enrollment In Borno State

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved financial support and free meals to encourage school enrollment in Gajiganna town, where only 90 students out of a population of about 50,000 are currently enrolled in secondary school.

The governor announced that each student’s father will receive N250,000, while their mothers will get N50,000. In addition, N50,000 has been set aside for each of the 90 students to cater to their basic needs. The measure, he explained, is aimed at ensuring that the children complete their studies and serve as a foundation for expanding education in the northern part of the state, which has been badly affected by years of insurgency.

Zulum made the declaration during the inauguration of a Higher Islamic College in Gajiganna on Friday. He also directed that free meals be provided in the college and in schools facing low enrollment challenges, stressing the need for deliberate actions to revive education in northern Borno.

The governor highlighted that the state has built around 20 similar colleges to integrate Almajirai into a system that combines Islamic knowledge with science, mathematics, technology and foundational English. According to him, the goal is to blend traditional Islamic learning with modern subjects and vocational training to prepare learners for today’s world.

As part of his visit, Zulum also commissioned the Government Day Secondary School in Gajiganna, which will serve as a referral centre for primary school graduates in the community.

The Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Lawan Abba Wakilbe, praised the governor for delivering over 104 mega schools across the state in six years, with 35 more still under construction.

The event was attended by senior political leaders, including Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, members of the House of Representatives, Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly Abdulkarim Lawan, APC state chairman Bello Ayuba, and other top officials.