Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has expanded support programs for students and refugees studying in Cameroon as part of efforts to restore education disrupted by insurgency.
For years, many young Nigerians fleeing Boko Haram attacks settled in Cameroon, with thousands unable to access stable education and government support.
The governor addressed this challenge during his visit to the University of Maroua in Cameroon’s Far North Region on Monday, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to increasing learning opportunities for Borno indigenes and Nigerian refugees.
He inspected a 500-capacity lecture theater being constructed by the Borno State government to support refugees and Nigerian students enrolled in the institution.
Iconic Times24 Newspaper earlier reported how the governor visited the Minawao camp, where over 12,000 refugees from Kirawa, Ngoshe, Ashigashiya, and surrounding communities have lived for more than a decade due to insurgency.
Officials say the lecture theater, now nearing completion, will serve as an academic facility for Nigerian nationals and displaced students who crossed the border to pursue education.
He said the state is working to scale up scholarships for Borno students in Cameroon and expand access for refugees whose studies were interrupted by conflict.
“No young person should be forced to abandon education simply because insurgency pushed them across international borders,” Zulum said.
He added that Borno will consider increasing its student quota at the University of Maroua, acknowledging the institution’s support for learners affected by Boko Haram.
Responding, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maroua, Professor Idrissou Alloum, described the intervention as an “unprecedented gesture” that strengthens educational cooperation between both countries.
“The construction of the lecture theater and the introduction of new scholarship schemes demonstrate a forward-thinking approach to humanitarian governance,” he said.
Students welcomed the Governor’s presence in Cameroon, describing his engagement with them as evidence that their future still matters despite displacement.
Governor Zulum was accompanied by the Governor of Far North Cameroon, Mijinyawa Bakari; Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume; and the member representing Gwoza State Constituency, Abdullahi Buba Abatcha, among others.
A single visit across the border has now opened new possibilities for thousands of young refugees hoping to rebuild their lives through education.
