The Borno State government has commenced a basic education strategy to cater for the many children who lost their parents to the Boko Haram insurgency.

This was revealed by Governor Kashim Shettima when he announced that the state had awarded a N1.6 billion contract for the construction of nine mega primary schools in the state.

Governor Kashim Shettima said that the project is expected to cater for over 49, 000 children orphaned by the Boko Haram crisis in the state.

He said, “We have awarded contracts for the construction of nine mega primary schools across the state.

“We are also building a mega school in Maiduguri deliberately for the children orphaned by the Boko Haram crisis.”

He explained that as part of its post-insurgency initiatives his administration would work to secure the future of the children of the state through quality education.

“It is gratifying to note that peace has started returning to this part of the world,” Shettima said.

“But as we win the war against Boko Haram insurgents, we are yet to commence the bigger war of trying to meet the aspiration of about 49,000 children orphaned by the crisis in Maiduguri alone.

“Nobody can give the exact number of people affected or women who lost their breadwinners, but there are thousands of them.

“It is in our own self-interest as a people to let these people have hope by educating the orphans and empowering the widows and make them have stake in the 21st Century,” he said.