10,000 Teachers Benefit from Motorcycle Loan in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

10,000 teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in Niger State are to benefit from the N2.1 billion motorcycle loan scheme designed to enhance the productivity and provide mobility for those teaching in ‘hard to reach rural areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Education Hajia Fatima Madugu, who disclosed this, said the scheme has been approved by the state executive council and the fund will soon be disbursed by the state government.

She said the gesture was also meant to bring succour to the beneficiaries and improve their working conditions.

According to her, “Niger State government through the State Universal Primary Education Board (SUBEB) approached a commercial bank to obtain a loan of N2.1 billion to procure motorcycles to be given out on loan to teachers in primary and junior secondary schools in the state to facilitate their movement.

“This initiative was packaged to improve the welfare of our teachers, especially those teaching in the hard to reach rural areas of the state and to further enhance their working condition, improve quality of teaching and motivate teachers.

“After a thorough screening exercise which had all the stakeholders; Ministry of Education, SUBEB, the bank and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), 10,000 beneficiaries of the scheme emerged out of the 22,367 teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.”

The commissioner said the scheme would soon be flagged- off had beneficiaries in all the 3,166 primary schools and 60 junior secondary schools in the state.

“All arrangements have been concluded and all necessary modalities carried out for the take- off of the scheme. The repayment plan for the loan is 18 months and due diligence was carried out by the government in order to ensure only qualified teachers and those who are not indebted to any loan will benefit,”

While he said the school had prepared the 54 graduating students for their various programmes round the world, the outgoing Head Girl, Oluwademilade Adetunji, said Grange had equipped them in all aspects.

She expressed: “The school has trained us to be ahead of the game and in front of the world. It understands that the society is evolving with technology advancement; hence, it doesn’t want us to feel left out in technology.”