Zulum Approves Two New Community Schools in Biu, Upgrades Hospital to Specialist Facility

Zulum Approves Two New Community Schools in Biu, Upgrades Hospital to Specialist Facility

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the construction of two new community secondary schools in Biu Local Government Area as part of efforts to expand access to free and quality education across the state.

The governor also designated Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Biu, as one of the state’s eight Centres of Excellence, an initiative aimed at promoting academic excellence, unity and cultural integration among students from different parts of Borno.

Zulum disclosed this on Sunday while speaking with journalists during his week-long assessment tour of five local government areas in southern Borno.

The governor, who spent the previous night in Azare, Hawul Local Government Area, inspected several public institutions in Biu, including Government Senior Science Secondary School, Government Secondary School Waka, Government Girls Secondary School, the Nigerian Army University, the new General Hospital, the 100 Housing Estate and the State Hotels.

He also visited the proposed sites for the Community Boys Day Secondary School and Community Girls Day Secondary School, where he directed that construction should begin immediately and be completed before the end of his administration.

According to him, the growing population of Biu has placed increasing pressure on existing educational facilities, making it necessary for government to create more opportunities for children to enrol in secondary schools.

“Biu is growing rapidly, and government must respond by expanding access to education. We have assessed the situation and decided to build two additional community secondary schools, one for boys and another for girls,” the governor said.

Zulum explained that the Centres of Excellence initiative would revive the state’s school exchange programme, allowing students from different parts of Borno to study together while receiving transportation support from the government.

He said the programme would strengthen social cohesion by encouraging interaction among young people from diverse communities across the state.

The governor also addressed students of Government Girls Secondary School, Biu, where he urged both Muslim and Christian students to uphold the moral teachings of their respective faiths, describing discipline and good character as the foundation of a peaceful society.

To improve students’ welfare, he announced the donation of 200 bags of rice, beans and cooking oil for school feeding. He also approved the construction of an additional borehole for the school’s kitchen and directed the repair of the existing faulty water facility.

At the Nigerian Army University, Zulum inspected two blocks of 12 three-bedroom staff quarters built by the state government. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting the institution’s plan to establish a College of Medical Sciences, which he said would create more opportunities for Borno students to study medicine and related health courses.

The governor also inspected the ongoing construction of a 150-bed General Hospital in Biu, revealing that the facility would be upgraded to a Specialist Hospital upon completion.

He said the expansion would increase the hospital’s capacity to between 300 and 400 beds, enabling it to provide advanced healthcare services not only for residents of Biu but also for people across the remaining eight local government areas in southern Borno.

According to Zulum, the upgraded hospital would play a critical role in supporting the Nigerian Army University’s proposed medical college, with the institution expected to admit its first medical students next year.

In a move to strengthen healthcare delivery, the governor announced automatic employment for 17 volunteer nurses currently serving at the General Hospital. He also pledged to recruit additional medical personnel to meet the growing healthcare needs of the area.

The visit formed part of Zulum’s ongoing inspection of government projects across southern Borno, focusing on improving education, healthcare and public infrastructure in underserved communities.