Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has called on business leaders, private institutions and development partners to invest in the state’s post-insurgency recovery by supporting displaced families to rebuild their livelihoods and creating jobs for young people.
Zulum made the call on Thursday while declaring open a two-day Borno State Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement Private Sector Roundtable at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Lagos.
Key Highlights
- Zulum urges private investors to back Borno’s post-insurgency recovery and create jobs for young people.
- He spoke at the Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement Private Sector Roundtable in Lagos.
- The Monguno intervention delivered 1,900 homes and shelters, 375 solar streetlights and support for about 4,000 people.
- Borno has built 104 new schools and rehabilitated 2,931 classrooms, with enrolment above 1.8 million.
- About 3,000 young people graduated from nine vocational enterprise institutes earlier in 2026.
The roundtable, with the theme “Mobilising Private Capital for Durable Solutions and Sustainable Development,” brought together government officials, corporate leaders, business executives, development partners, philanthropies and other stakeholders.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Usman Kadafur, the governor urged companies and private institutions to support resettled communities, partner with vocational institutions and invest in sustainable businesses that would provide long-term economic opportunities.
He called for concrete business commitments backed by clear timelines and measurable outcomes.
“A camp cannot become a permanent address. And dependence cannot be the inheritance we pass from one generation to another,” Zulum said.
The governor commended humanitarian organisations for their role in saving lives during the insurgency, but stressed that lasting recovery would require displaced families to earn sustainable incomes, access essential services and regain their independence.
He said the state’s 25-year development framework is designed to transform Borno State into a secure and competitive agribusiness and commercial hub, through investments in human capital, agriculture, healthcare, environmental sustainability and regional trade.
‘Closing A Camp Is Not Ending Displacement’
Zulum noted that relocating displaced persons from camps was not sufficient to end displacement, stressing that sustainable resettlement must address the economic and social needs of affected families.
“We have learned that closing a camp is not the same thing as ending displacement,” he said.
The governor cited interventions in Monguno, where the state government, the United Nations Development Programme, the federal government, Germany and other partners supported the construction of 1,900 permanent homes and semi-permanent shelters, as well as 375 solar streetlights.
He added that about 4,000 people benefited from grants, technical and vocational training, start-up packages and agricultural inputs, with women accounting for 40 per cent of the beneficiaries.
According to him, the Monguno intervention also provided water, energy, markets, essential services, security and social cohesion initiatives.
“Housing alone is not resettlement. Housing plus livelihoods, education, healthcare, security, infrastructure and economic opportunity is what turns a settlement into a community,” Zulum said.
Gains In Education And Vocational Training
On education, the governor said his administration has constructed 104 new schools and rehabilitated 2,931 classrooms and related facilities as of December 2025.
He added that school enrolment had increased to more than 1.8 million children, while the estimated number of out-of-school children had declined to below 800,000.
Zulum also disclosed that about 3,000 young people graduated from nine vocational enterprise institutes and centres across the state earlier in 2026, with beneficiaries receiving tools, starter packs and entrepreneurship support.
Read also:
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- Zulum Hosts North East Governors For 13th Forum Meeting In Maiduguri
- Governor Zulum Pledges More Investment, Reforms In Borno Tertiary Institutions
He urged the private sector to align its corporate social responsibility programmes with projects that would enable communities to become self-reliant.
Such interventions, he said, could include schools, vocational centres, primary healthcare facilities, water systems and support for women and youth entrepreneurs.
Zulum further urged participants to ensure that the roundtable produced concrete investments rather than ending with discussions and communiqués.
“I therefore propose that this roundtable must not end with photographs and communiqués,” he said.
The governor called on business leaders to support displaced families to become homeowners, farmers, employees and entrepreneurs, while creating employment and business opportunities for young people vulnerable to violent recruitment.
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