Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has called for increased investment and stronger partnerships among the Federal Government, the United Nations, development partners, international financial institutions and the private sector to speed up the state’s recovery.
Zulum made the call on Thursday at the Government House, Maiduguri, during the fourth Project Board Meeting of the United Nations Offer to Support the Borno Model and the Steering Committee Meeting of the Peacebuilding Fund.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Federal Government, the United Nations, development partners and donor agencies.
The governor said the meeting in Maiduguri showed Borno’s importance in efforts to promote peace, stabilisation, reconstruction and development in the North-East.
He thanked the UN, donor countries and development partners for their financial and technical support to communities affected by more than a decade of insurgency.
Zulum said interventions through the Peacebuilding Fund and UN Offer had moved beyond emergency relief to areas such as reconciliation, reintegration, livelihoods, social cohesion and institutional development.
He said Borno was now moving from humanitarian assistance to recovery, reconstruction, resilience and long-term development.
The governor listed rebuilding affected communities, restoring basic services, improving education and skills training, creating jobs and supporting women and young people among the state’s priorities.
He also called for more investment in agriculture, small businesses, vocational training, digital opportunities and value-chain development.
“With the right investment in infrastructure, skills and enterprise development, Borno can move from being viewed primarily through the lens of crisis to being recognised as a centre of economic opportunity in the North-East,” Zulum said.
The governor said the state government had committed more than 70 per cent of its budget over the past seven years to security, support for internally displaced persons and refugees, and the reconstruction of schools, houses, health facilities and markets.
Zulum urged development partners to build on existing achievements and scale up programmes that would provide lasting solutions for residents affected by the insurgency.
He expressed appreciation to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohammed Fall, and UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, for their support for Borno’s recovery.
He also acknowledged the contributions of Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Armed Forces to the state’s recovery efforts.