Sokoto Begins Construction of 160 New Schools

Sokoto State Government has commenced the construction of 160 new primary and secondary schools across the state.

The Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu  Waziri Tambuwal on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, made the disclosure in Sokoto on Monday.

He spoke in Sokoto at the opening a one-day Training of Field Officers for Pilot Survey on Schools’ Needs Assesment under the State of Emergency on Education in the state.

Imam stated that the schools consisted of 100 new primary schools, 45 new senior secondary schools and 15 new junior secondary schools.

Imam added:  “If there is any sector that should be turned around, it should be the education sector. And this does not only lie with the teachers, but with us as citizens.”

Speaking on the contribution the media can give to the success of the state of emergency declared in education sector in Sokoto, Imam noted that all stakeholders implementing the policy should involve the media for success to be achieved.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Technical Committee on the State of Emergency in Education in the state, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, commended the state government for initiating the policy.

Shehu, who is the immediate Vice Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, also lamented that, over sixty per cent of teachers in the Basic and Secondary Schools were unqualified.

In the same vein, more than half of the structures in those schools across the state were dilapidated, he added.

“The declaration  of the emergency would therefore help drastically in redressing the ugly trend. The survey is targeted at collating a comprehensive needs assessment report on each of the 2,264 Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in the state.”

The Commissioner, Basic and Secondary Schools, Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, stated that, the survey would come up with empirical, evidence-based data on the schools.

This, Kilgori further noted, would provide for effective planning to revamp the state’s education sector.

The Leader, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Garba Bello, who is also the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Education, pledged its support to ensure the success of the exercise.

The Executive Secretary of the State Universal Education Board( SUBEB),Alhaji Faruku Shehu, expressed happiness that, the declaration of the state of emergency in education was already making huge positive impact.

”The emergency has started addressing some of the most formidable problems hitherto plaguing the education sector,” Shehu, added.

In his remarks, Dr. Shadi Sabeh, Chairman, Schools Specific Needs and Assessment said that, the pilot survey would be conducted by 75 Enumerators and Supervisors in 40 model schools, within the next four days.

He also added that, the social media platform would be used to track Supervisors and Enumerators, in order to ensure the collection of accurate data of the schools’ needs.