Boko Haram Crisis Destroyed Over 5,000 Schools, Left 2.2m Children Out Of School – Zulum

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has disclosed that more than 5,000 school structures were destroyed at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency, with about 2.2 million children forced out of school.

Zulum made the disclosure on Sunday in Maiduguri when Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi A. Sule commissioned several projects across the Borno State capital.

The commissioned projects included the Post Office 9-Span Flyover, Larawaram Community Senior Secondary School, Shehu Sanda Kyarimi I Primary and Junior Secondary School, as well as a 2.5-kilometre dualised road with five kilometres of drainage from Budum Tandari Junction to Kasuwan Shanu.

The governor said the insurgency caused extensive damage to the state’s education infrastructure and also claimed the lives of several teachers and school administrators.

Zulum said his administration’s response to the destruction goes beyond rebuilding damaged structures, as it also seeks to restore access to education and confidence in affected communities.

“Rebuilding schools is not just about constructing physical structures. It is about restoring access to education, rebuilding confidence in our communities, and providing our children with the opportunity to secure a better future,” he said

The governor disclosed that the Borno State Government spent N46,987,069,675.33 on basic and secondary education during the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.

He said the investment forms part of a wider reform programme in the education sector, with 136 projects completed and awaiting commissioning.

According to Zulum, the number of usable classrooms across the state has increased to 5,792, while functional Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities have reached 4,563.

The governor also highlighted the expansion of senior secondary education across the state.

“At the senior secondary level, the number of functional schools has grown exponentially—from just 34 schools spread across eight Local Government Areas in 2019 to 129 schools spanning 25 Local Government Areas by 2026.

“This expanded access and renewed public confidence have driven a massive surge in student enrollment. State data shows that school enrollment skyrocketed from 766,551 learners in 2019 to 1,801,295 in 2026, marking an increase of more than one million learners in just seven years.

“These indicators demonstrate the scale of our efforts to expand educational access, restore infrastructure, and improve the learning environment for our children,” Zulum stated