Tears flowed freely—this time not from hardship, but from hope—as vulnerable women and girls in Biu witnessed a miracle unfold before their eyes.
For years, meaningful support had felt like a distant dream to hundreds across Southern Borno. On this unforgettable day, that dream became a life-changing reality.
At the inauguration of the Second Chance for Women and Girls Skills Acquisition Centre in Biu town, Babagana Umara Zulum delivered an announcement that stunned the audience into joyful disbelief. Four hundred trainees drawn from eight local government areas—women and girls previously blocked by circumstance from continuing their education—are to receive ₦100,000 each, paid in two tranches, to support their training in tailoring, catering, knitting and crocheting, and bead making.
In a moment that would define the day, Zulum asked a simple question: Who among you has the qualifications for higher education? As hands shot up across the hall, he unveiled an even bigger surprise—immediate scholarships to study nursing and midwifery.
Gasps gave way to tears. Smiles mixed with trembling disbelief. Some trainees pinched themselves, unsure whether the moment was real.
Long after the Governor’s convoy departed, the centre remained awash with emotion—joy, gratitude, and the powerful realization that lives had been permanently altered.
The moving scene formed part of Governor Zulum’s intensive five-day tour of Southern Borno, a people-focused mission that touched health workers, teachers, hospital patients, youth groups, and the most vulnerable. Once again, his leadership spoke not in promises, but in action—defined by compassion, empathy, and uncommon resolve.
As Borno’s daughters step into a future once denied them, many offered prayers that Almighty Allah continues to grant the Governor strength, sound health, and wisdom to sustain this people-centred, purposeful leadership.
By Dauda Iliya
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