Boko Haram: Borno govt sets up 2 boarding schools for orphans

THE Borno State government, on Saturday, said it had constructed two model boarding primary schools to enrol children orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Commissioner of Education, Musa Kubo, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the school projects, located at Ngomeri-Barwee and 303 Housing estates in Maiduguri, had been completed.

“Foreseeing the challenges orphans left behind by the Boko Haram insurgency may face, the state government embarked on construction of boarding primary and junior secondary schools. The government is going to replicate the gesture in areas ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency,” he said.

Kubo disclosed that the government had constructed 16 classroom blocks in Maiduguri under its school integration programme, designed to integrate children and adults into formal school system.

He added that the government had constructed various two-storey building schools with 30 classrooms each, to address congestion in primary and secondary schools.

According to him, the structures were built in Government College, Maiduguri; Government Girls’ College, Maiduguri, and Yerwa Government Girls’ College.

Others were Government Day Secondary School, Zajeri; Junior Secondary Schools at Bulabulin, Ngomari and Bulunkutu.

He explained that the state government spent over N200 million on the projects and provided e-learning facilities to other schools in Maiduguri, Kaga, Konduga and Jere local government councils, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

According to him, the government had also embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of schools destroyed by insurgents.

He added that 22 mega school projects were ongoing in liberated communities, pointing out that each of the school was designed with a 2,000 pupils capacity.

“All boarding schools which closed down for two years were re-opened and commenced operation for normal academic activities.

“This year, the state government is paying N278 million for indigent students sitting for the National Examination Council (NECO) and Senior School Examination Certificate,” he said.

According to him, the state government, in collaboration with UNICEF, has conducted psychological training for teachers traumatised by insurgency.

He said government would implement the State Education Programme Investment Project in partnership with World Bank, to enhance community participation in school management.