Over 25,000 children in Borno State who were affected by the Boko Haram insurgency have received educational support from the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in partnership with the Centre for Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiatives (CATAI). The European Union (EU) funded the project to help more vulnerable children in Monguno and Dikwa local government areas get safe and good-quality education. The goal was to make sure these children have better access to learning in a secure environment.
Speaking during the project’s close-out meeting in Maiduguri, JRS Country Director Rev. Fr. Temple Anuforo stated that the initiative was launched in July 2023 and will conclude on June 30, 2025. He revealed that the insurgency left over one million children out of school in the region and claimed the lives of more than 547 teachers.
Fr. Anuforo explained that 23,442 children benefited from the programme, with 18,905 children gaining access to formal education and 4,170 through non-formal learning. He also said the project reached 260 adults, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and members of the host communities. Key achievements of the project included the construction and renovation of classroom blocks, toilets for boys and girls, temporary learning spaces, crèches, and the installation of clean water facilities. “I can now write my name and count up to 100. I want to become a teacher,” said Fifteen-year-old beneficiary Yagana Babagana, who was helped to reenroll in school. Also speaking, Bishop John Bogna Bakeni, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno, praised the project for supporting education, water, sanitation, and livelihood in crisis-affected communities.
