Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has donated N100 million to the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB), in a fresh push to strengthen research, innovation, and infrastructure at the institution.
Governor Zulum made the announcement when he received the Vice Chancellor of NAUB, Prof. Lawan Buratai, alongside principal officers of the university, at the Government House in Maiduguri.
He said: “Previously, the Borno State Government supported the university, and now we are providing an additional N100 million. We will work closely with you to strengthen this partnership for the institution’s growth and development.”
The governor also unveiled plans to award scholarships to indigent students across all 27 local government areas of Borno State, enabling them to study at the Army University. According to him, the Commissioner for Education has been directed to work out modalities for the selection.
Zulum further pledged his administration’s support for the proposed establishment of a College of Medical Sciences at NAUB, which, he noted, will help address the shortage of doctors and frontline healthcare workers in the state.
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Zulum Donates N100m to Army University Biu: Beyond financial support, the governor emphasised the need for Borno’s three federal universities — the University of Maiduguri, the Nigerian Army University Biu, and the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Bama — to align their academic programmes with the state’s development needs.
Prof. Buratai, the Vice Chancellor, lauded the governor’s intervention, while urging for more sponsorship of Borno indigenes in engineering and technical fields. “We commend His Excellency for the ongoing construction of staff accommodation. We also appeal for more state-sponsored students in Engineering and technical fields to boost academic enrolment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the governor reiterated his commitment to equitable development when he received members of the Biu Forum. He highlighted ongoing investments in security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure, saying: “We are investing heavily in these areas not to please anyone, but because posterity will judge our administration positively.”
The National Chairman of Biu Forum, Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, acknowledged the governor’s impact, noting that over 90 projects have already been delivered in the Biu Emirate alone, including a new Eye and Dental Hospital, a local government secretariat, housing estates, vocational centres, schools, and road networks.
