As Sokoto Weaponises Education

By Louis Achi

In conceptualizing education and development planning templates, hope is certainly not a plan. It’s then little wonder that historically education and human development planning remain twin ‘weapon-grade’ tools progressive states deploy to transform their societies.

Lending an enduring authority to the crucial importance of education, Africa’s eminent sage Nelson Mandela firmly believed that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world

With little question, Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto of Sokoto State recognizes the necessary complementarity and synergy between his administration’s first agenda – education – and the imperative transformation of Sokoto State. The other elements of his 9-point agenda include – health, water, agriculture, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy, religious affairs, and economy.

Whereas an educational development plan delivers a vision, a matching budget provides the operational framework for its realization. The transition from a plan to a budget involves the deployment of often complex control machinery.

Budgeting guarantees orderly development. It’s no secret that governance without sound targeted budgeting will definitely translate into jumbled development – if there is any development at all. In educations matters, this is even more important. Incidentally, the governor being a financial expert understands this more than many.

It’s not disputable that Sokoto is a conservative society. Thinking out of the box in a highly conservative milieu surely presents its challenges but doing otherwise will surely diminish the best of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s efforts. The youthful governor has taken up this challenge because he recognizes that the 21st Century can only align with progressive thinkers and not slackers.

Sokoto State’s 2025 budget of “Transformation and Infrastructural Sustainability,” notching N526,882,142,484.39 would undoubtably, consolidate achievements of the 2024 budget. The Sokoto State 2025 budget has a recurrent expenditure of N176,295,602,130.14 billion and a whopping N349,386,540,354.25 billion for capital expenditure, a 34:66 percent recurrent to capital ratio. As in the 2024 budget which gave education over 30 per cent, next year’s budget also unapologetically prioritises education.

According to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the State, Hon. Sambo Bello Danchadi, “Some key areas of focus for the 2025 budget include: Education: with 25% allocation; devoting substantial portion of the state’s budget to education is a significant commitment to improving the sector. This move will help address infrastructural deficits, fund educational programs, and ensure the effective delivery of teaching and learning.

“By surpassing UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15-20%, the administration is demonstrating its priority for education, which is critical to achieving sustainable development.”

From the basic to tertiary levels in the state, the governor’s premium on education is obvious from the re-accreditation of several courses in its tertiary institutions and the massive construction of schools, renovation of dilapidated buildings, provision of furniture, and instructional materials, the prompt payment of examination fees for students writing the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, and the payment of outstanding scholarships for students undergoing various degree programmes.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s vision for educational transformation is mirrored in various specific interventions. His APC-led administration has prioritized education as a cornerstone of societal progress.

A significant highlight of his tenure is the intervention for 88 Sokoto State medical students affected by the crisis in Sudan. Rather than allowing these future healthcare professionals to languish in uncertainty, his administration facilitated their transfer to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Medical College, ensuring their education remained uninterrupted. This bold initiative underscores his administration’s commitment to nurturing human capital and fostering resilience in the face of challenges.

Moreover, the government has invested heavily in educational infrastructure and teacher training programmes. By creating enabling environment for both students and educators, the administration is building foundation for a more enlightened and competitive youth population in Sokoto State.

Hon. Danchadi, the state information commissioner also revealed that over 800,000 children in the state have been enrolled into basic education schools, marking a drastic increase in the number of enrolments into public primary schools and attributes the increased enrolment to the efforts of the state governor to improve education infrastructure across the state.

Significantly, the administration accomplished these feats without borrowing a kobo from any bank or financial institution within or outside the country.

Further, a good education development plan must be modern and up-to-date; can be ranked according to relative importance and form a network; possess desired results and events, including goals that must be interconnected and mutually supportive and carry the citizenry along to avert legitimacy crisis.

Empirical feedback from Sokoto State after eight years of former governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal’s regressive administration, indicate that the state’s cheerless education narrative has been changed even as the current administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu is just warming up and shaking up the system.

Governor Aliyu’s leadership panache is clearly characterised by his unique vision, strategic thinking, and innovative problem-solving footing. His innate ability to navigate complex, tough governance environments and make bold decisions clearly stands him out.

Youthful Governor Aliyu also covets knowledge-driven innovations, proactive engagement with stakeholders, relevant institutions, policy makers and more importantly, sure-footed action. These dimensions have been boldly mirrored in his governorship of Sokoto State, despite the overarching challenges.

As it were, a powerful vision draws in ideas, people and other resources. It creates the momentum and will to catalyze change. It inspires individuals, complementary organizations and institutions to commit, to persist and to give their best. Keying into this enduring philosophy, unassuming Governor Aliyu has also deployed impeccable professionalism, discipline and persistence to transform the education sector in Sokoto State.

As Sokoto ‘weaponizes’ the crucial tool of education to achieve accelerated transformation in a development-hungry milieu, Governor Aliyu must also scaleup the place of technology to ‘game’ diverse development models in the world and settle for the best “Next-Level” option. Technology is a key development facilitator.

Evaluating the Asian Tigers’ education planning templates is a worthy intellectual excursion that could provide the additional kick needed to totally exit the cheerless depression of the last administration.

Governor Aliyu intimately knows that development is not something to be wished into existence but a process to be firmly guided by very bold, intentional actions. He also knows that to effectively weed out poverty, education must be mainstreamed.

Indeed, Sokoto State means business.