Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has declared a state of emergency on education in a bid to overhaul the neglected education system in the state.
The governor, in a state broadcast on Tuesday, saidthat the poor state of education affects all levels, from primary to tertiary institutions, with inadequate learning environments and personnel.
According to a statement by the Spokesperson of the Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, this declaration aligns with the campaign promises of Governor Dauda Lawal to revamp the education sector, which has virtually collapsed.
The statement reads: “In a state broadcast today, Governor Dauda Lawal declared a state of emergency in the education sector across Zamfara. This is in line with his campaign manifesto, where he made promises to the people of Zamfara to implement policies and programs aimed at reforming the education sector, building and rehabilitating public schools, providing adequate educational facilities, and training/retraining the existing staff to enhance their capacity.
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“As a result, the Dauda Lawal administration has commenced the construction and renovation of 245 schools across the 14 local government areas of the State. The government has also provided two-seater desks for pupils and students, totaling 9,542 across schools in 14 local government areas, and equipped the constructed and renovated 245 schools with 619 tables and 926 chairs for teachers across the 14 local government areas.
“To maintain a minimum level of quality in education delivery, the government has suspended the licenses of private education providers in the state. This ensures that private schools meet the required standards for providing quality education.
“Furthermore, in pursuit of quality education, the government has approved sponsoring 50% of Zamfara indigenes admitted into Federal Government Girls College Gusau for the 2023-2024 academic sessions.
“The State Government has paid the National Examination Council (NECO) fees for all Zamfara public school candidates who sat for the 2023 exams. Similarly, certificates for the candidates who sat for the 2019 NECO examinations have been collected and distributed to the students.
“The results of the NECO exams taken in 2020, 2021, and 2022 will be released to students before the end of this month. The results were previously withheld by the NECO due to non-payment by the previous administration. However, with the intervention of the current administration, students who graduated during those years can now access their results and apply to different tertiary institutions for admission.
“Governor Lawal has paid the tuition fees and allowances of students on scholarship in various countries, including Sudan, Cyprus, and India. This ensures they can continue their studies without interruption due to debts incurred by the previous government.
“The government is committed to changing the narrative of constant underperformance. Zamfara will thrive across all sectors. This is just the beginning of our rescue mission.”