MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has pledged to hire graduates from the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, as teachers in colleges and secondary schools, specifically targeting those with degrees in Science or Information and Communication Technology, ICT.
The governor announced the swearing-in ceremony of 1,225 corps members for the 2023 Batch ‘B’, Stream ‘2’ in Maiduguri on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
“As we rebuild from years of devastating terrorism, we must also rebuild our educational system,” said Governor Zulum. “We will only hire corps members who have graduated in Science and ICT courses to ensure that our students get the education they need for the modern world.”
The governor has directed Mohammed Adamu, the NYSC Coordinator in Borno State, to submit a list of corps members who have graduated in the specified courses.
This initiative aligns with the governor’s pledge to build and equip a permanent NYSC orientation camp before his term concludes.
“The orientation of the NYSC scheme did not hold in the state because of the 14-year Boko Haram terrorism that claimed our people’s lives and property,” Zulum noted, crediting security agencies for facilitating the day’s event.
Adamu commended the governor for the peace that has allowed the resumption of the three-week camp orientation at the Arabic Teachers College, ATC.
“There was no report of security threats while the corps members were traveling to Maiduguri for the orientation exercise,” he added.
According to Adamu, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi, along with Governor Zulum, played crucial roles in the efforts to restore peace in the troubled state.
With 1,225 corps members already registered and more arriving, Adamu said the camp could potentially accommodate up to 3,000 graduates, hinting at the revival of normalcy in Borno State.
Mohammed Badiya, Chairman of the NYSC Governing Board and Permanent Secretary (Administration) in the Governor’s Office, assured that allowances for corps members would be paid regularly.
He also urged the young graduates to “embrace and respect the cultural values and norms of Borno people while serving in communities.”
The governor’s initiative is viewed as a strategic move not only to fill gaps in the educational sector but also to restore faith in a state that has been heavily scarred by insurgency.
The hiring of specialized teachers signifies a step toward strengthening the foundations of education in Borno, which may, in turn, serve as a bulwark against the resurgence of extremism.
