Borno govt constructs 45 mega schools for children orphaned by insurgency

The Borno Government on Wednesday said it had constructed 45 mega schools to cater for the education of children orphaned by Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

The Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Inuwa Kubo, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the schools were established in the 27 local government areas of the state.

Statistics by the government indicate that over 53, 000 children were orphaned and 50,000 women widowed by the insurgency in the North/East state.

Kubo, who spoke on the sideline of the humanitarian stakeholders’ forum meeting, said the projects were part of a deliberate policy, to enhance access to quality education for orphans and out-of-school children.

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He disclosed that the schools were designed with state-of-the-art facilities such as e-learning devices, air condition systems, power generators and other modern educational accessories.

Kubo explained that meals, uniforms and instructional materials would be provided free to pupils in the schools, to create an enabling teaching and learning environment.

The commissioner revealed that the enrollment process of the children had commenced in the 27 LGAs, while the state government would embark on an awareness campaign to mobilise guardians to enrol their wards in school.

According to him, the state government has so far recruited 1,000 teachers to ensure the provision of quality services and sustainability.

“Already, we commenced recruitment of 1,000 teachers and plans are underway to recruit additional teachers for the mega schools.

“The aim is to engage quality teachers and non-teaching staff for the schools. The government has also adopted proactive measures to ensuring sustainability of the schools,” he said.

While commending humanitarian and development organisations over their support to persons displaced by insurgency, the commissioner called on the organisations to provide scholarships for orphans and vulnerable children to enable them to pursue higher education.

He also called on the organisations to provide livelihood support for poor families and sensitise them on the need to enrol their children in school.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the humanitarian stakeholders’ forum meeting was organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to appraise interventions, identify gaps and enhance collaborative efforts for emergency response services in the state.