Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the allocation of N50 million alongside the construction of staff houses and students’ hostels at the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB), which is owned by the Federal Government.
The governor announced the interventions on Friday when the Army University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Kyari Mohammed, led a management delegation to a courtesy call on the governor at the Government House in Maiduguri.
“Borno State Government will release N50m to the University. Insha Allah, we will provide accommodation for staff as well as hostels for students’ use at the university. On this note, I want to direct the Commissioner for Works and Housing to come up with an architectural design for the project”, Zulum said.
Before Friday’s intervention, Governor Zulum had extended series of support to the University of Maiduguri, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Federal Polytechnic, Monguno, Federal College of Education, Gwoza, and a host of other Federal Government institutions either being set up or existing in Borno State.
Governor Zulum during the courtesy visit directed Borno State’s Ministry of Education to prepare a list of deserving students that will be awarded higher education scholarship at the Nigerian Army University, Biu.
The governor directed that beneficiaries be drawn from the the three senatorial zones: Northern, Central and Southern senatorial districts of the state.
Zulum also directed all state-owned tertiary institutions to re-introduce convocation ceremonies which were suspended due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
He noted that such ceremonies should be used to identify performing students and award scholarships for further studies.
The governor commended former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), for facilitating the establishment of the Army University in Borno.
Speaking earlier, Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, commended the remarkable progress made by Borno in the field of educational development, during the last four years of Zulum’s administration.
He noted that the state, once plagued by insurgency, has transformed into a reference point for other regions in Nigeria which seek to enhance their educational systems.
“As a university, we are particularly encouraged by the monumental achievements recorded in the education sector, from the primary to the tertiary level.
In terms of teacher quality development, recruitment, training and re-training and the high-quality infrastructural development for which Borno is now a reference point around the country”, Prof. Kyari said.
He thanked Governor Zulum for supporting the Army University and other tertiary institutions across the state.
