Security, humanitarian needs consumed 70% of Borno budget in seven years – Zulum

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum says security and humanitarian needs consumed about 70 per cent of the state’s budget over the past seven years.

Zulum made the disclosure on Thursday at a meeting of the United Nations Offer Support to the Borno Model and the Steering Committee of the UN Response to Mass Exits from Insurgency in North-East Nigeria Peacebuilding Fund projects in Maiduguri.

He said spending on internally displaced persons, refugees, reconstruction and livelihood support accounted for a large part of the state’s expenditure.

According to the governor, the huge spending was caused by the impact of the Boko Haram insurgency and the need to rebuild communities affected by the conflict.

Zulum said his administration had invested in rebuilding schools, houses, health facilities and markets, while also creating livelihood opportunities for people affected by the insurgency.

He thanked UN agencies, development partners and donors for helping Borno move from emergency humanitarian assistance towards recovery, reconstruction and sustainable development.

The governor urged development partners to focus less on short-term projects and support long-term programmes that combine peace-building with economic development.

He said lasting peace depended on employment, education, livelihoods, strong institutions and opportunities for young people.

Zulum also called for better coordination among development partners so that available resources could be directed to communities with the greatest needs.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, said Nigeria needed continued international support to address its humanitarian and development challenges.

He said development assistance should support Nigeria’s priorities in education, healthcare, human capital development, climate resilience and economic growth.