By Felix Khanoba
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has said that Kano State expended N6 billion on basic education sub-sector between 2018 and 2019.
The UBEC boss made this known in a speech delivered at a two- day retreat organised for board and management members in Kano.
A statement made available to The AUTHORITY in Abuja on Tuesday and signed by David Apeh, Head of Public Relations, UBEC, said Bobboyi described the feat in education investment by Kano government as unprecedented in the history of the State.
He explained that with that huge amount, the state recorded construction of 817 new classrooms, renovation of 685 classrooms, drilling of 100 boreholes, provision of 40,000 pupil’s and teacher’s furniture, recruitment of 8,000 volunteer
teachers for Tsangaya primary schools and many others.
The UBEC boss said the achievements are crowned by the establishment of free and compulsory basic education and this has helped to jack –up pupil’s enrolment from 1 million to 3.3 million currently.
“The UBE Commission is delighted with
these achievements and would continue to partner with the State government through SUBEB to move basic education forward” he said.
The Executive Secretary said the retreat will provide an opportunity for the Board and Management to brainstorm, exchange ideas and strategize in moving basic education forward.
He stressed that during the retreat; they will also review the strategic priorities and propose workable changes in institutional structures to drive both Medium and long term goals of the Commission.
Commenting on Covid -19, the Executive Secretary said the pandemic serves as an eye opener to all stakeholders in basic education, adding that during the
At the peak of the scourge, teaching and learning in public schools were grounded to a halt and over forty-two 42 million children in public schools were sent home abruptly for a whole academic session.
He said “at this retreat, members will have the opportunity to discuss effective ways and means of strengthening the capacity of UBEC, SUBEB and their critical stakeholders in handling similar situations in future and map out strategies for quick response and remediation”.
Earlier, the Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who declared the retreat open, said his administration is bent on transforming the Almajiri system in the State and urged all stakeholders in the basic education sub- sector to invest heavily in basic education.
The retreat has its theme as “Enhancing Basic Education in Nigeria toward a Robust Institutional Strengthening and effective stakeholder Engagement. ”
