By Danjuma Amodu
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has approved the construction of two new community secondary schools in Biu and the upgrade of the town’s General Hospital to a Specialist Hospital, as part of efforts to expand access to quality education and healthcare services in southern Borno.
The governor made the announcements on Sunday while inspecting projects during his week-long assessment tour of five local government areas in the southern part of the state.
Zulum said the growing population of Biu necessitated the establishment of additional public schools to accommodate more students, revealing that one community secondary school would be built for boys and another for girls.
He directed that work should commence immediately on the proposed Community Boys Day Secondary School and Community Girls Day Secondary School after inspecting the designated sites.
The governor also elevated Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Biu, to the status of one of the state’s eight Centres of Excellence, saying the initiative would revive Borno’s student exchange programme to foster unity among young people from different parts of the state.
Under the programme, students from northern and central Borno will study in schools outside their immediate communities while receiving transportation support from the government.
Addressing students at GGSS Biu, Zulum urged both Muslim and Christian girls to uphold the moral teachings of their respective faiths, describing discipline and good values as essential for peaceful coexistence.
He further announced the donation of 200 bags of rice, beans and cooking oil to improve feeding in the school, alongside the construction of a new borehole and repairs to an existing faulty one.
During a visit to the Nigerian Army University, the governor inspected two blocks of 12 three-bedroom staff quarters built by the Borno State Government and pledged continued support for the institution’s planned College of Medical Sciences.
In the health sector, Zulum disclosed that the ongoing 150-bed General Hospital in Biu would be upgraded to a Specialist Hospital upon completion, expanding its capacity to between 300 and 400 beds.
According to him, the upgraded facility is intended to support the Nigerian Army University’s medical programme, with the institution expected to admit its first medical students next year.
He added that the Specialist Hospital would also serve residents of the remaining eight local government areas in southern Borno by providing advanced medical services closer to home.
In another boost to healthcare delivery, the governor approved the automatic employment of 17 volunteer nurses currently serving at the hospital and assured residents that additional medical personnel would be recruited to strengthen healthcare services in the area.
This milestones approvals come on the heels of Governor Zulum approving a fresh N200 million for the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, raising the state’s support to the institution to N400 million. This underscores his administration’s focus on the health and well-being of children and people across Borno State, alongside investments in education.
