By Omoniyi David
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding educational opportunities for indigent Borno students and Nigerian refugees in Cameroon.
Zulum made the announcement during a visit to the University of Maroua in Cameroon’s Far North Region, where he inspected a nearly completed 500-seat lecture theatre funded by the Borno State Government.
The facility is designed to serve both Nigerian students and refugees displaced by Boko Haram.
The visit followed a trip to the Minawao refugee camp, home to over 12,000 Nigerians from Gwoza Local Government Area.
Zulum said the initiative aligns with Borno’s post-conflict rebuilding strategy, stressing that “no young person should abandon education simply because insurgency pushed them across borders.”
He also pledged to expand scholarships for affected students and explore increasing the number of Borno students at the University of Maroua.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Idrissou Alloum, described Zulum’s efforts as an “unprecedented gesture” strengthening cross-border educational access and regional cooperation.
Students welcomed the Governor’s engagement, praising his inspection of facilities and responsiveness to their concerns.
Zulum was accompanied by Cameroon’s Far North Governor, Mijinyawa Bakari; Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume; Gwoza representative Hon. Abdullahi Buba Abatcha; and senior Borno and Cameroonian officials.