Zulum’s ₦100 billion Security Spend, by Salisu Na’inna Dambatta
Borno state governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum was recently quoted saying that his government has spent over ₦100 billion on security-related activities in the state so far this year (2025).
Information from various sources indicate that his administration has cumulatively spent more than ₦300 billion on security since he assumed office in 2019.
The huge financial outlay on security by the Zulum administration was necessitated by the destetable killing of innocent citizens, disruption of their social life, crippling all their economic activities and the destruction of public infrastructure by the Boko Haram insurgents. The insurgents and sundary criminals have sadly made Borno state a tough environment to govern.
With around 300,000 people killed by the insurgents, over 2.3 million displaced from their homes, agricultural activities halted, schools destroyed, hospitals burnt down, places of worship ruined and bustling communities turned into ghost settlements from 2009 onward, a picture of apparent hopelessness is imaginable.
Of the 2.3 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), 1.7 million were in Borno state. They are housed in overcrowded accommodations, under poor sanitation and ate inadequate food. The rest were spread elsewhere around the country.
A faint-hearted leader may be overwhelmed and assumes that bringing succour to the people who survived the insurgents, impossible. But not Professor Babagana Umara Zulum. The engineer of agricultural mechanisation proved himself as a lion-hearted man. A true leader, courageous. He swung into actions to solve the problems facing the people who elected him with 1,175, 440 votes.
Without hesitation he supported the armed forces and the civilian volunteers with logistics by contributing over 100 operational vehicles and 500 motorcycles to the Nigerian Police in March 2025. They took the fight to the insurgents.
And in November 2025, he donated 63 patrol vehicles to the security agencies and the Civilian Join Task Force (CJTF) for their operations in Maiduguri and its environs. The vehicles were distributed thus: 30 to the 10 different sectors of CJTF; 16 were given to the Rapid Response Squad and Anti-Social vices organisations got 10. Six were allocated to hunters and one was given to NAPTIP. In March 2025 Governor Zulum donated 500 motorcycles to the Nigerian Military.
A cumulative 500 Hilux and Land Cruisers and over 1,000 motorcycles were contributed to the various security agencies involved in the operations against Boko Haram by the Zulum-led administration.
Governor Babagana Zulum extended welfare packages to wounded personnel and the families of fallen heroes, including nearly 280 housing units for the Police. The monthly stipends for the JTF and Hunters is ₦352 million.
Previously, the Babagana Zulum administration had supported families of fallen Civilian Joint Task Force members with an economic stimuli worth a cumulative ₦4.2 billion.
In the education sector which is particularly hated by Boko Haram, the Zulum administration has constructed 104 mega schools, each can accommodate 1,500 pupils. One of the schools at Zannari Kaleri which has 60 classrooms and other facilities was visited by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammad Idris..
The administration recruited almost 1,000 teachers for secondary schools, nearly 3, 000 for primary schools and spent ₦1 billion in re-training 10, 566 unqualified teachers. At least 176 classroom teachers were killed by the insurgents.
A prudent application of resources paved way for Zulum’s government to rehabilitate 300 health centers damaged by Boko Haram, thereby improving access to healthcare for displaced populations and enhancing maternal and child care.
Bridges, roads, irrigation facilities and agricultural machinery damaged or destroyed by the insurgents were repaired, including 375 farming tractors.
Beside the tractors, agriculture and livestock development got a boost when the Ngarannam Livestock Improvement and Ranch Settlement, a 4-square kilometre project built for 461 nomadic families from 18 communities displaced by insurgents has been operational..
The settlement comprise a housing estate with road networks, schools, health clinics, veterinary services, dairy and beef upgrading, pasture developmen and milk collection centres. There are earth dams to supply water and markets to foster trade.
“Each of the 461 families received pairs of bulls and heifers, goats, and a humanitarian relief package consisting of essential food and non-food items,” Zulum said.
Given the way Babagana Zulum Umara governed it with true sincerity of purpose, one can conclude that despite the insurgents and inspite of scarce resources, there is a justified hope and real prospects of a bright future for Borno state.
Salisu Na’inna Dambatta is APC National Director of Publicity on annual leave.