The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has commended Borno State for its rapid transformation in the education sector, saying many universities and polytechnics in other parts of the country do not possess the level of infrastructure now available in the state’s primary schools.
Alausa made the remark on Wednesday in Maiduguri during the commissioning of two newly constructed mega schools by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum. He described his experience as humbling, noting that the facilities he saw in Borno surpassed those in several tertiary institutions nationwide.
“As the Minister of Education and the chief education officer of the country, I was humbled yesterday. The quality of Borno’s primary, junior, and senior secondary schools blew me away. I have visited many institutions—universities and polytechnics approved in other states—and they do not have the kind of infrastructure I saw in a Borno primary school,” he said.
The minister praised Governor Zulum for what he called a transformative and visionary investment in educational infrastructure, adding that the governor had set a new benchmark for other states.
Alausa, who led a delegation of senior federal and state officials, performed the symbolic tape-cutting to commission the two mega schools, which contain 48 and 60 classrooms respectively. He also commissioned a new Federal Government School in the Ngarannam area of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
The projects were funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
In his remarks, Governor Zulum reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening the education system, describing it as the foundation for long-term development and prosperity.
“We must ensure that adequate accommodation is provided for teachers, and very soon, the Borno State Government will roll out incentives to motivate them,” he said.
He added that the state government would introduce deliberate measures to enhance technical and vocational education. Zulum also confirmed plans to increase teachers’ salaries and noted that the minimum wage has already been fully implemented for primary and secondary school teachers across the state.
The event drew praise from stakeholders who described Borno’s education model as one that could be replicated nationwide to tackle longstanding challenges in the sector.
