By Chidimma Okwara
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has approved a package of financial support and free meals for students in the state. The initiative is a strategic effort to boost school enrollment in northern Borno, a region significantly affected by a decade-long insurgency. The governor announced the initiative at the inauguration of a Higher Islamic College in Gajiganna, where he noted the alarmingly low number of secondary school students in the area.
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The governor has approved a stipend of N250,000 for each father and N50,000 for each mother of the 90 students in Gajiganna. The students themselves will also receive N50,000 to help with essential needs.
All enrolled students in the Higher Islamic College will receive free daily meals. This policy will be extended to other higher Islamic colleges and schools with low enrollment across the state.
The newly established Higher Islamic College and others like it are designed to merge traditional Sangaya (Almajiri) learning with formal education. The curriculum, approved by the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), includes modern subjects like science, mathematics, technology, and English, along with traditional Islamic studies.
This initiative is part of a broader educational reform plan that includes the construction of new schools and the renovation of existing ones. The Borno State government has built over 104 mega schools in the past six years and is working to train teachers to improve the quality of education. The state aims to provide Sangaya learners with the skills needed to succeed in the contemporary world.
The event was attended by Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Sen. Kaka Shehu Lawan, and several federal and state lawmakers.
