Governor Uba Sani’s Stride In Education -By Job James Maigamo

Since his inauguration as the executive governor of Kaduna State on 29 May, 2023, governor Uba Sani has never hidden his desire and passion to develop education in the state. Evidence is the reduction or slashing of tuition fees of state’s tertiary institutions by 50% as witnessed last year. The governor stated that, the reduction of the tuition fees was in fulfilment of his election promise. He said the reduction of the fees was to offer palliatives so as to reduce the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, which has led to a high rise in cost of living in the country.In response to the public outcry over the current fees being charged by tertiary institutions in Kaduna State and its effect on school enrolment and retention, he went to approve the downward review of school fees for tertiary institutions in the state.

The downward review of the fees aligns with his government’s commitment to offer palliatives to cushion the effect of general rising cost of living in the polity, especially in the wake of recent petroleum subsidy removal in Nigeria. The welfare of Kaduna people remains top of his priority. The governor continues to take all measures necessary to ensure access to free and qualitative education for every child in Kaduna State from primary to secondary school; expand access to higher education; enhance Teachers’ Welfare & Teaching Standards; improve School Infrastructure; build ICT competence in students from basic education level; and intensify investments in Technical & Vocational Education.

Governor Uba Sani did not stop at that. His sympathy for the less privileged has further manifested recently, where he directed the State University to allow students facing financial difficulties to sit for exams despite outstanding school fees for the 2023/2024 academic session. The university’s management, in a statement on Thursday, said the development was under the directive of Governor Uba Sani, to lessen the impact of current economic challenges on its student body. Besides, Primary education, the foundation of learning, will soon receive great attention, as the administration of governor Uba Sani is poised to reposition the sector in line with global standards. Governor Uba Sani giant strides in education within a period of less than a year is a testimony of his avowed determination and commitment to improve literacy rate in the state.

The trajectory of primary education in Kaduna State started during the last administration of El-rufai where thousands of primary school teachers considered incompetent or unqualified were sacked. However, the subsequent recruitment by the government failed to fill in the vacuum created by the massive retrenchment. I think governor Uba Sani is not unaware about the understaffing in the primary education. Some primary schools in the state are in desperate need of teachers. Disturbingly,one can find out many schools with more population but less teachers to cover up expected lessons. The governor should scale up massive recruitment to augment the shortages of manpower. If the twins problem of inadequate teachers and training of teaching personal are addressed, our struggling primary education will breath a new life, emerge stronger and become a force to reckon with.

Job James Maigamo, Nasaru, Kubau LGEA, Kaduna State.