In its efforts to reduce out-ofschool children, the Borno State Government has successfully reduced the number of out-of-school children from over 2.2 million to fewer than 700,000, representing a 70% reduction.

Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed this during the inauguration of Government Secondary School Mairi said: “We have built 104 schools, rehabilitated 2,931 classrooms and distributed free educational materials, including 20 million exercise books, 2 million textbooks, 15 million sets of school uniforms, 700,000 school bags, and millions of other learning tools.”

Zulum said over the past five years, his administration has undertaken significant investments in education, which include the construction of 104 schools, restored 2,931 classrooms and distributed millions of instructional materials to both basic and secondary schools across the state.

He also emphasized the success of the school feeding programme which benefits 50,000 pupils annually, and an initiative providing 10,000 bicycles to ease mobility challenges for rural students.

Towards addressing out-ofschool youths that have surpassed conventional school age, the administration has prioritized Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The governor said: “We have established five Vocational Enterprise Institutes, two Second-Chance Women/Girls Skills Entrepreneurship Schools and reactivated nine existing Vocational Training Centers.

“We aim to train approximately 5,000 artisans annually, empowering them with skills for self-reliance and addressing unemployment challenges.”