Badaru, Lamido and Jigawa educational sector
The recent statistics of 2017 WAEC shows Jigawa second to the last among the 36 states of the federation. So, what is really happening? What are the problems that led Jigawa to experience this ignominious position? Now the people of Jigawa are bemoaning rather hurriedly, that our educational system has deteriorated in recent times (2015 […]
The recent statistics of 2017 WAEC shows Jigawa second to the last among the 36 states of the federation. So, what is really happening? What are the problems that led Jigawa to experience this ignominious position? Now the people of Jigawa are bemoaning rather hurriedly, that our educational system has deteriorated in recent times (2015 to date). During the tenure of Sule Lamido, he prioritized education and also allocated a lot of amount in his budget every year to education, increasing it by 200% from what he inherited in 2007. Jigawa was a state driven by knowledge.
When Lamido got into office in 2007, he inherited a total of 18,000 primary school teachers and out of these; only 6,000 were qualified, meaning 12,000 others were not qualified. He had to negotiate with National Teachers Institutes (NTI) Kaduna to train those that can be trained. Lamido employed another 1,653 Seniour School teachers, 1,554 teachers for JSS and 6,544 teachers for primary schools. What a diligent, committed and passion leader!
In his first tenure, new schools were built and some were renovated; 7,599 classrooms for primary and junior secondary schools were constructed across the state and 1,212 were renovated, and the government purchased 62,981 classroom furnitures. Out of the 779 dilapidated schools he inherited in 2007, Lamido renovated and restored 648 to full standard staffed and are well equipped with functional libraries and laboratories to WAEC standard. He also established 211 primary schools, 95 new junior secondary schools, 48 SSS, as well as 216 nomadic schools across the state. Lamido increased the number of tertiary institutions from 5 to 10 as he inherited in 2007. Classrooms have modern instructional technologies.
There was increase of senior secondary school enrolment about 42,873, JSS 39,037 and 178, 719 for primary school. The physically challenged persons were not left out, 1,291 were registered for senior school. Also, 2,002 enrolled for JSS and 1,074 for primary school. In 2013 a total of 26,564 school uniforms were distributed to senior secondary students. Also, there was upward review of school feeding from N30 in 2007 to N90 in 2012 per day and per student. But this amount was reduced by this present administration. Lamido introduced policies which help in promoting the educational sector, like the free education for Girl-Child, the physically challenge persons and the establishment of school of gifted and talented which was situated at Bamaina. Lamido initiated and implemented a scholarship scheme for the best 100 students in the sciences every year to overseas universities. Which just last week many students returned home, Jigawa who have successfully completed their studies from Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, Alexandria, Egypt.
Lamido also established Jigawa State University at Kafin-Hausa in order to afford state indigenes more access to higher education opportunities. But one thrilling and frightening issue is, this present administration pays little attention to the completion of the university.
Lamido had set the pace for Muhammad Badaru administration and many to come to emulate in educational sector. We hope and pray governor Badaru will make some positive steps to rescue it as his predecessor, Lamido did.
Adamu Muhammed Usman, Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State.