Maiduguri — In a bold statement of vision and values, Babagana Umara Zulum, Executive Governor of Borno State, has once again proven that classrooms—not comfort—sit at the heart of his leadership. In the 2026 Borno State Budget, education has received the largest single share, underscoring the Governor’s unwavering belief that the future of the North-East must be built with books, skills, and knowledge.
A Professor by training and a reformer by instinct, Zulum has transformed education from a campaign slogan into a defining pillar of governance. At a time when many states struggle to balance competing demands, Borno has chosen a clear path: invest massively in human capital.
The 2026 education-heavy budget prioritises the reconstruction of schools destroyed by insurgency, expansion of modern classrooms, laboratories and hostels, recruitment and training of teachers, and sustained support for scholarships and bursaries at secondary and tertiary levels. Technical and vocational education—critical for jobs, productivity, and post-conflict recovery—also takes centre stage.
From early childhood education to universities, Professor Zulum’s administration has treated learning as a security strategy and an economic policy rolled into one. Thousands of displaced children have returned to school. New facilities now stand where ruins once symbolised despair. Teachers are better supported, and institutions are being repositioned to meet global standards.
Observers say the message from Government House is unmistakable: guns may end wars, but education ends the reasons for them. By allocating the largest slice of the 2026 budget to education, Zulum has sent a powerful signal to parents, students, donors, and the wider nation that Borno’s recovery will be knowledge-driven and future-focused.
Across the North-East, the impact is already visible—in reopened schools, renewed enrolment, and rising hope. For many, Professor Zulum is not just a Governor; he is the Teacher-in-Chief, shaping policy with the discipline of a scholar and the compassion of a leader who understands that lasting peace begins in the classroom.
In Borno State, the chalkboard has become a tool of rebuilding—and Professor Babagana Umara Zulum is writing a legacy that will outlive budgets and terms of office.
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