Worried by the state of education in Zamfara State, Governor Dauda Lawal on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the sector of the North-Western state.
The governor, in a broadcast to the people of Zamfara, said the neglected education system in the state affected all levels, from primary to tertiary institutions, with poor learning environments and personnel.
This was disclosed in a statement by the spokesperson for the governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, who noted that the declaration of a state of emergency on education was in line with the campaign promises of Governor Lawal.
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He said the state government was fulfilling a pledge to overhaul the education sector that has virtually collapsed.
“In a state broadcast today, Governor Dauda Lawal declared a state of emergency in the education sector across Zamfara,” the statement read.
“This is in line with his campaign manifesto, in which he made promises to the people of Zamfara to implement policies and programmes 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.
“As a result, the Dauda Lawal administration has commenced the following emergency response: construction and renovation of 245 schools across the 14 local government areas of the State; provision of two-seater desks for pupils and students, totalling 9,542 across schools in the 14 local government areas; equipping the constructed and renovated 245 schools with 619 tables and 926 chairs for teachers across the 14 local government areas.
“Furthermore, in pursuit of quality education, my government has approved sponsoring 50% of Zamfara indigenes admitted into Federal Government Girls College Gusau for the 2023-2024 academic sessions.”
He explained that the state government paid the National Examination Council (NECO) fees for all Zamfara public school candidates who sat for the 2023 exams, adding that certificates for the candidates who sat for the 2019 NECO examinations had been collected and distributed to the students.
According to him, the results of the NECO exams taken in 2020, 2021, and 2022 will be released to students before the end of November.
