Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has called for increased investment and stronger collaboration among the state and federal governments, the United Nations, international financial institutions, donors and the private sector to accelerate the state’s recovery from more than a decade of insurgency.
Zulum made the call on Thursday in Maiduguri while hosting the fourth Project Board Meeting of the UN Offer to Support the Borno Model and the Steering Committee Meeting of the Peacebuilding Fund.
He said Borno was at a critical transition from humanitarian dependence to resilience and long-term development, requiring sustained investment in infrastructure, education, skills, agriculture and enterprise.
The governor commended the UN, donor countries and development partners for their financial and technical support, which he said had improved the lives of communities affected by insurgency.
He said the UN Offer and Peacebuilding Fund had helped shift the focus from emergency relief to long-term interventions, including reconciliation, reintegration, livelihood support, social cohesion and institutional strengthening.
“We recognise that progress in Borno is a product of strong partnerships among the state government, the United Nations, development partners, communities, the Federal Government and other stakeholders,” he said.
Zulum identified rebuilding conflict-affected communities, restoring basic services, expanding education and vocational training, creating jobs and empowering women and youths as key priorities.
He also called for increased investment in agriculture, small and medium-scale enterprises, digital opportunities and value-chain development, saying Borno could become an economic hub in the North-East.
The governor disclosed that the state government had devoted more than 70 per cent of its budget over the past seven years to security, support for internally displaced persons and refugees, reconstruction of schools, hospitals and markets, as well as livelihood programmes.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said challenges in the North-East should no longer be viewed only as humanitarian emergencies but as opportunities for long-term economic investment.
He called for coordinated financing and stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, the UN and development partners.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohammed Malick Fall, and UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting the Borno Model and praised Zulum’s leadership in the recovery process.
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