Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has called for stronger international support and increased investment to accelerate the state’s transition from humanitarian relief to long-term recovery and sustainable development.
Governor Zulum made the call on Thursday during the fourth Project Board Meeting of the United Nations Offer to Support the Borno Model and a Steering Committee Meeting of the Peacebuilding Fund, held at the Government House in Maiduguri.
The high-level meeting brought together representatives of the Federal Government, the United Nations, development partners and donor agencies.
Mr Zulum said Borno needed deeper collaboration and co-investment involving the state and federal governments, the UN, international financial institutions, development partners and the private sector.
He said such partnerships were critical as the state moves beyond emergency humanitarian interventions towards reconstruction, resilience and sustainable economic growth.
“Borno is at a critical transition point, moving from humanitarian response to recovery, reconstruction, resilience and long-term development,” the governor said.
The governor said the UN Peacebuilding Fund and UN Offer had helped broaden international assistance beyond immediate humanitarian relief, supporting reconciliation, reintegration, livelihoods, social cohesion and institutional strengthening.
He also identified rebuilding communities affected by conflict, restoring basic services, expanding education and skills development, creating jobs and supporting women and young people as key priorities.
Mr Zulum called for greater investment in agriculture, small and medium-sized businesses, vocational training, digital opportunities and value-chain development, arguing that these sectors could help reposition Borno as an emerging economic hub in the North-East.
“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,” he said.
The governor disclosed that more than 70% of the state’s budget had been committed over the past seven years to security, support for internally displaced people and refugees, reconstruction of schools, homes, health facilities and markets, as well as livelihood support for communities affected by the insurgency.
He urged development partners to build on existing interventions and scale up programmes that have delivered measurable results.
Mr Zulum also stressed the importance of ensuring that displaced people and returning residents were able to rebuild their lives with dignity and access sustainable sources of income.
Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said the challenges facing the North-East should not be viewed solely through a humanitarian lens, but also as an opportunity for long-term investment and sustainable development.
He called for closer coordination among federal and state authorities, the UN and development partners to ensure that available resources were deployed effectively.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohammed Malick Fall and UNDP Resident Representative Elsie Attafuah reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Borno’s recovery efforts.
Mr Zulum commended the UN, donor countries and development partners for their financial and technical assistance, saying their interventions had improved the lives of communities affected by more than a decade of insurgency.
He also acknowledged support from Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the armed forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other federal institutions.
The governor pledged that his administration would continue to provide the leadership, institutional support and coordination required to sustain development programmes beyond the lifespan of individual donor projects.
The meeting comes as Borno seeks to consolidate gains in security and humanitarian response while laying the foundations for a more resilient and economically productive future for its people.
