By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum has won the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Good Governance Award 2024 on education.
At the event, which was tagged “NUJ Press Freedom and Governance Award”, 18 journalists and public servants who have distinguished themselves in their careers were honoured.
Presenting the award to Governor Zulum, at an event held in Barcelona Hotel, Abuja, on Saturday, the National President of NUJ, Chief Philip Isiguzo, noted that the award was in recognition of Governor Zulum’s laudable achievements in the development of the educational sector and good governance he has provided for the people of Borno.
According to the NUJ President Zulum has, over the years, embarked on innovative intervention and aggressive investment in the education sector of Borno State
Zulum, since 2019, has executed 124 projects in the education sector, including the construction of over 30 new mega schools and the rehabilitation of 1,087 classrooms in several schools across the state.
Zulum has recruited over 4,000 new teachers, deployed strategies to reduce out-of-school children from 2 million children to 800,000 in 2024 and has approved over N4 billion as a scholarship for local and foreign to Borno indigenes.
Responding after receiving the award, Zulum, who was represented by the Borno State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar, expressed appreciation to the organisers for finding him worthy of the award.
He said, ” It is amazing to be rewarded for managing a crisis and rebuilding a state like Borno State, which is coming out of a decade-long violent insurgency. The Borino restoration project focuses on bold and sustained investment in all sectors of society.
“Press Freedom constitutes an important booster of the Building Borno Back and Better initiative. In Borno State, Journalists are granted free space and access to information to carry out their duties and write stories that will enlighten society and influence public policy,” Zulum assured.
The event was attended by the Governor of Benue State, Reverend Hyacinth Alia, Speaker of Federal House of Representatives , Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas who represented by the Chairman , House Committee on Information and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi.
Also present are Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission Abuja, Ms Gill Lever, DG VON; Mr Bernabas Gemade and Major Gen Lawrence Onoja among others.
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