Zamfara Declares State of Emergency in Education Sector

*Suspends private school operators’ Licences

Zamfara State government has declared a state of emergency in education sector, attributing the development to several years of decay in the sector.
Speaking in a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, Governor Dauda Lawal regretted further that, “the neglected education system in Zamfara affects all levels, from primary to tertiary institutions, with poor learning environments and personnel.”
Moreover, according to a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the declaration of a state of emergency on education is also in line with Lawal’s campaign promises to the people.
The statement read: “In a state broadcast on Tuesday, 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 programmess aimed at reforming the education sector, building and rehabilitating public schools, providing adequate educational facilities and training/retraining the existing staff to enhance their capacities.
“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; provision of two-seater desks for pupils and students, totalling 9,542, equipping the constructed and renovated 245 schools with 619 tables and 926 chairs for the teachers.
“All teachers and education managers will receive subject-specific training and retraining.
“To maintain a minimum level of quality in education delivery, the government has suspended the licenses of private education providers in the state.
“This will ensure that private schools meet the required standards for providing quality education.
“Furthermore, in pursuit of quality education, my government has approved sponsoring 50 per cent 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 examinations. “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 examinations 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 of the requisite fees by the previous administration.
“However, with our intervention, 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 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.”