Borno approves N1.6bn for rehabilitation of 33 schools affected by floods

Borno Government says it has approved ₦1.6 billion for the rehabilitation of 33 educational institutions affected by the recent floods in the state.

The affected schools cut across Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, Konduga, Chibok, and Damboa local government areas of the state.

Alhaji Lawan Abba-Wakilbe, the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation announced this on Saturday in Maiduguri.

He said that the rehabilitation was to restore educational infrastructure and to provide safe and conducive learning environments for affected students.

Abbah-Wakilbe expressed gratitude to Gov. Babagana Zulum for his unwavering commitment to the education sector.

He commended school managers for their resilience in the wake of the disaster and assured stakeholders of a transparent implementation processes.

According to Abba-Wakilbe, the funds will be distributed directly to the accounts of affected schools under the management of School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).

“These committees, known for their effective execution of past projects, will implement the School Improvement Plan (SIP) in the affected institutions.

“The funds will be allocated based on the extent of damage suffered by each school,” Wakilbe said.

He added that the rehabilitation effort would also extend to the state Library Board and the Scholarship Board.

“To ensure accountability, the ministry has established a monitoring team, and plans are underway to engage an auditor and a financial consultant to supervise the proper utilization of the funds, ” he said.

The Commissioner urged schools without operational accounts to open one immediately to facilitate the process.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative has received widespread commendation from key stakeholders across the state.

Representatives of various educational bodies, including SBMC Chairman Abba Bukar, ANCOPS Chairman Abba Ali Ladan, and Dr Mala Kulloma of the Education Secretaries Forum, lauded the initiative.

They described the move as a significant step towards restoring normalcy in education across the state.