…Says it’s enabler for opportunities
Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal, described education as an enabler that provides the space and opportunity for easier social mobility worldwide.
“We have allocated a substantial amount of money to the education sector in our 2024 appropriation and are hopeful to jack up the allocation to a higher level in 2025, 2026 and 2027,” the Governor said last Saturday.
He spoke at the third and fourth combined convocation ceremony of the Federal University Gusau.
A statement by Lawal’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said that the Governor announced his government’s decision to give scholarship award to the overall best-graduating studentn of the university.
In his address, the statement quoted the Governor as saying that, ”I am delighted to be with you today on the combined third and fourth combined convocation ceremony of this promising university, the Federal University Gusau.
“I congratulate the university for achieving this feat despite the teething problems it has faced since its inception.
“I commend the parents, guardians and all graduating students for dedicating their time and energy to attain this feat.
“We look forward to a brighter and more fulfilling future despite the gloom of our challenges as a nation and people.
“As a government, we are determined to educate all the children of Zamfara. Education is the enabler that provides the space and opportunity for easier social mobility.
“We hope to achieve the 25-30 per cent recommended allocation to education as soon as possible.
“With reasonable allocation to the sector and efficient management of the resources, we are optimistic that we will revive the education infrastructure, hire more competent teachers and train and retrain existing ones.
“We will also increase enrolment in both primary and post-basic schools through public enlightenment and the creation of better learning and teaching environments.
“Education is free in Zamfara State and we hope to make it compulsory as well.
“We have also made handsome budgetary allocations to our tertiary institutions in the state to begin the correction process of lifting them to more efficient levels.
“The Zamfara State University is preparing to undergo, for the first time, accreditation of its programmes by the National Universities Commission.
“We have directed contractors who were forced out of the site by the previous administration to return to the site and we are hopeful that in the coming months, the university’s permanent site will be functional.
“We inherited a state where the examination fees of WEAC and NECO to the tune of billions of Naira were not paid by the government for more than three years.
“We had to enter into special arrangements with the examination bodies and payments have since commenced and will be completed as soon as possible.
“Within our limited resources, we will continue to render helping hands to the Federal University Gusau.
“Our objective is to increase education in our state so that there is access and space for all our young people to be trained to attain the lofty heights that education provides.”