By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has called for stronger collaboration with the African Union (AU) to expand educational opportunities for an estimated 800,000 children still out of school in the state.

Zulum made the appeal on Thursday while receiving a delegation led by the AU Chairperson’s Special Envoy for Children Affected by Armed Conflict, Ambassador Jainaba Jagne, at the Government House in Maiduguri.

The governor said the number of out-of-school children in Borno had dropped from more than two million about seven years ago to approximately 800,000, but stressed that additional support was needed to ensure more children, particularly those affected by conflict, could return to formal education.

He described education as a key driver of development and urged the continental body to support efforts to enrol vulnerable children and provide them with opportunities to learn and build better futures.

Zulum explained that education remained central to his administration’s strategy for moving Borno from emergency humanitarian interventions towards recovery, stabilisation and sustainable development.

According to him, the state government has invested in rebuilding schools, recruiting teachers and expanding access to learning, with particular attention to girls and children facing social and economic disadvantages.

He emphasised that protecting children affected by conflict went beyond providing immediate humanitarian assistance, noting that their education, welfare and social reintegration were essential to lasting peace and security.

The governor identified psychosocial care, vocational training, community acceptance and access to quality education as critical measures for helping children recover from the effects of insurgency.

He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing safe and inclusive schools in line with the principles of the Safe Schools Declaration.

Beyond education, Zulum urged the AU delegation to support improvements in primary healthcare, particularly in communities with limited access to advanced medical facilities.

He identified the need for trained health workers, modern medical equipment and improved nutrition services, saying these interventions would help address childhood malnutrition and other health challenges affecting vulnerable families.

The governor further called for economic empowerment programmes for mothers, arguing that stronger household incomes would improve families’ ability to provide food, education and other necessities for their children.

He said strengthening women’s livelihoods would help reduce the vulnerability of children and support their overall well-being.

Zulum welcomed the AU’s efforts to promote education and child protection, expressing his administration’s readiness to deepen cooperation with the Union, the Federal Government, the United Nations and other development partners.

He said such partnerships were important for advancing education recovery, youth empowerment, child protection and peacebuilding across Borno State.

In her remarks, Jagne commended the Borno State Government for its interventions aimed at rehabilitating and reintegrating children affected by insurgency.

She said the experience gained from the state’s programmes could provide useful lessons for other African countries confronting similar challenges.

The envoy explained that her engagements with the state’s First Lady, Associate Professor Falmata Babagana Umara Zulum, and visits to the Bulumkutu Interim Care Centre and Muna Vocational Centre had provided an opportunity to assess the initiatives supporting affected children.

Jagne said the delegation would share its observations with AU member states to highlight the interventions being implemented in Borno.

She also disclosed that the delegation had brought educational materials for more than 1,000 children, alongside hygiene supplies for adolescent girls undergoing reintegration.

The visit underscored the importance of cooperation between the Borno State Government and international partners in addressing the long-term effects of conflict on children, particularly through education, healthcare, skills development and community-based support.