Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum pledged N500,000 per refugee plus N100,000 for women-headed households to Nigerians in Cameroon's Minawao camp willing to return home, announced during his December 8, 2025, visit. Zulum highlighted improved security in Gwoza via military ops and community vigilance, urging repatriation to rebuild insurgency-ravaged lives after over a decade in exile. The funds aim to reconstruct homes and restart livelihoods in ghost towns like Ngoshe and Ashigashiya.
Accompanied by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume and Gwoza officials, Zulum toured refugee farmlands, promising irrigation kits, boreholes, and farm aid to restore dignity. Cameroon's Far North Governor Mijinyawa Bakari lauded Zulum's cross-border humanitarianism, crediting it for refugee stability and Nigeria-Cameroon counter-terror ties.
Targeting 12,000 returnees amid Boko Haram/ISWAP threats, the initiative faces rights group skepticism over infrastructure gaps, but Zulum insists Borno stands ready for mass homecoming.