Northeast
Palliative: Zulum gives NLC N2 billion soft loan to Borno workers
Palliative: Zulum gives NLC N2 billion soft loan to Borno workers
… Raises gratuity pay to N2.4 billion annually, allocates 30 buses for easy transportation
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Tuesday presented a cheque of N2 billion to the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Borno State to disburse to eligible workers in the state as interest-free loans with a repayment period of 24 months to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
The presentation took place after a meeting between the governor and officials of the NLC led by the labour chairman in the state, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa.
At the meeting which took place at the council chambers of the Government House in Maiduguri, Zulum asked the NLC to complete talks with state’s ministry of finance to determine the category of workers to be entitled to the loans as well as the loan recovery through monthly deductions of not more than one third of salaries.
The governor also announced 100% increase in monthly releases for payment of gratuities backlog.
The payment was increased from N100 million monthly which equals N1.2 billion annually to N200 million monthly which will amount to N2.4 billion.
The gratuities are lump sums paid workers who retired from service, even as they become entitled to monthly pensions.
For many years, retired workers in Borno State are owed gratuities for which Governor Zulum has released about N20 billion to drastically reduce the backlog even though more workers retire every year, making more of them to be owed gratuities.
Although many are owed gratuities, Zulum
has since introduced a policy of automatic migration of retired workers from salaries to pensions. Before the policy, it took retired workers months to complete documentation before getting monthly pension while they wait for gratuities which takes longer waiting time.
Also as part of outcome from his meeting with the NLC, Zulum lannounced the allocation of 30 buses to be dedicated to conveying workers in the metropolis at subsidized fares.
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The buses are to be managed by the Borno Express Transport Corporation but to be deployed at pick up points along major routes to move workers to the Musa Usman secretariat in the morning and return them by evening from the secretariat to where they were picked up in the morning.
The governor Zulum has also directed the state’s ministry of finance to clear backlogs of promotional benefits owed workers whose names where omitted during earlier payments.
The workers were those still being owed 2016, 2017 and 2018 promotional benefits after their names where omitted during payments approved by Governor Zulum in 2019.
Zulum directed that workers owed 2019 and 2020 promotional benefits should all be paid while those owed from 2021 to date are to be paid based on outcome of a recent promotional exam which they participated in.
The NLC Chairman in Borno State, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa had tabled some demands, top of which the governor approved.
He revealed that the NLC demanded loans for workers who may want to go into agriculture and other businesses or acquire some assets.
He also said the NLC demanded allocation of buses and clearing of promotional benefits.
Inuwa also said labour demanded increase in the monthly allocation for payment of pensions.
The NLC chairman thanked Governor Zulum for meeting top of their demands, hoping that labour will continue engaging the government for more demands to be addressed for the welfare of workers at the state and local government levels
Palliative: Zulum gives NLC N2 billion soft loan to Borno workers
Zulum Emerges BusinessDay’s Best Performing Governor SCIRA Award of the Year
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has emerged as BusinessDay’s 2025 Governor of the Year on Competitiveness and Investment Readiness Awards (SCIRA) under the category of Infrastructure Competitiveness Category Awards.
The award ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at NAF Conference Center & Suites, Jabi, Abuja.
Zulum’s nomination was contained in a letter by the Publisher/CEO of BusinessDay, Frank Aigbogun, addressed to the Governor.
“On behalf of BusinessDay Media Limited, Nigeria’s foremost business and economic intelligence platform, we are honoured to inform you that Borno State has been nominated for ‘Best Performing Governor’ under the Infrastructure Competitiveness Category for the 2025 States Competitiveness/Investment Readiness Awards (SCIRA),” Aigbogun said.
According to him, Governor Zulum’s nomination acknowledges his administration’s extraordinary strides in rebuilding infrastructure, reviving moribund industries, and restoring livelihoods as part of Borno’s long-term post-conflict recovery.
“Your Excellency, few states embody the spirit of renewal as Borno does. Against the backdrop of a decade-long insurgency, your government has delivered one of Nigeria’s most ambitious reconstruction and reintegration programmes, with infrastructure as its anchor,” he added.
Highlights of this transformation include:
Revival of Industrial Assets: The Borno Plastic Industry and Borno Meat Processing Company, once abandoned, have been progressively rehabilitated, signaling a return of productive capacity and investor confidence.
Industrial Hub Redevelopment: Through the Borno State Industrial Park and Enterprise Centre (BIP), over 2,000 SMEs now operate in structured facilities that provide power, workspace, and logistics support.
Infrastructure-led Recovery: Over 10,000 houses have been reconstructed across local government areas, enabling market access and trade linkages among Maiduguri, Biu, Monguno, and Gwoza.
Energy & Industrial Power Supply: The Maiduguri 50MW Gas Plant and collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have significantly enhanced industrial energy reliability.
Mr Aigbogun said these efforts have repositioned Borno as a credible destination for post-conflict
industrial reinvestment that combines human development with economic diversification.
“Borno’s shortlisting was derived from the BusinessDay Research & Intelligence Unit (BRIU) and BudgIT State Competitiveness Model (2025), using a Composite Infrastructure Competitiveness Index (CICI) based on three weighted dimensions,”
“Across these parameters, Borno ranked among the top five northern states, with its infrastructure recovery index improving by over 41% between 2020 and 2024.
“In the education and health sectors, construction of over 100 secondary schools, Kashim Ibrahim University Teaching Hospital and Staff quarters, doctors’ quarters, as well as take-off support for Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Federal College Gwoza, School of Nursing and Midwifery in Gwoza and Monguno, and the Orthopedic Hospital Azare, amongst others,” he remarked.
The Publisher acknowledged that Governor Zulum’s administration has rebuilt confidence, reconstruct
and resettled communities, revived industries, education, and healthcare, noting that today Borno stands as a model of post-conflict competitiveness in Africa.
Zulum Emerges BusinessDay’s Best Performing Governor SCIRA Award of the Year
Buni approved the appointment of Yerima as the new emir of Ngazargamu.
By: Yahaya Wakili
Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, COMN of Yobe state has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yerima Ibn Mahmud as the new Emir of Ngazargamu.
This is contained in a statement signed and issued today, 12th June, 2026, by the acting secretary to the state government, Dr. Mohammed Goje, in Damaturu.
The appointment of the new emir of Ngazargamu followed the demise of the late emir, Alhaji Tijjani Ahmed Ibn-Saleh Geidam, who passed away recently in Cairo, Egypt, after a protracted illness.
Until his appointment, the new Mai Ngazargamu was the Turakin Ngazargamu, an office he held for 16 years. He was also a member of the State House of Assembly.
The new emir of Ngazargamu, Alhaji Yerima Ibn Mahmud, has at different times served as a member of the State Executive Council and the state commissioner for livestock development before the new appointment.
Governor Mai Mala Buni, while congratulating the new emir and the Ngazargamu emirate, urged the new emir to use his wealth of experience to unite the people, promote peace and peaceful coexistence, and foster economic growth of the emirate, Yobe State, and Nigeria as a whole.
Similarly, Governor Buni called on the people to support the new emir to execute the functions of his office diligently, effectively, and efficiently for the benefit of the people, peace, unity, and prosperity of the emirate.
Buni approved the appointment of Yerima as the new emir of Ngazargamu.
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Government has distributed relief materials to 434 indigenes of Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area who were recently rescued by security agencies after spending three months in Boko Haram captivity.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the victims in Pulka on Monday and directed the immediate distribution of food and non-food items to support their recovery and reintegration.
In compliance with the Governor’s directive, the Director General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Ali Abdullahi Isa, promptly supervised the distribution exercise.
Each rescued person received a bag of rice, a bag of maize grits, a mattress, a wrapper, and a shadda, while children received two pairs of clothing.
In addition, 208 heads of households received N50,000 each, fulfilling Governor Zulum’s earlier pledge of financial assistance.
Speaking during the distribution, the SEMA Director General said the intervention was part of the government’s immediate response to ease the hardship faced by the rescued victims.
“I am here at the instance of His Excellency, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, who was here some few days ago, and to deliver the items he directed that it should be given to you as emergency relief,” Ali stated.
The rescued individuals are currently receiving medical care and psychosocial support at a government facility. Upon completion of the rehabilitation process, they will be reintegrated into their respective communities.
The exercise was carried out alongside the Chairman of Gwoza local government, representatives of the Ngoshe community, and other officials.
Zulum Delivers Relief, Cash Support to 434 Ngoshe Residents Rescued from Boko Haram
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