Recently, the Zamfara state government sent a number of students of the state origin on scholarship study in Uganda.
UMAR MARADUN examines the role of local government councils in the running of education in Nigeria
Although the role of the local government councils in the running of education has been relegated to the background, with the introduction of states’ universal education boards, the local government councils are still fully in charge of primary education, in ensuring the provision of infrastructure, working materials and teachers.
With states Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB), in place, the full running of the primary education had shifted to the states.
The fact that education has remained the basic tool for the development of any society formed the basis of the various policies and programmes for its accelerated development in the urban and rural communities in Nigeria.
The present system of education, which is the western type, came even before the attainment of independence, as it was initially handled by the missionaries before, the involvement of the colonial administration.
With the attainment of independence, the defunct regions focused their attention mainly on the development of education through the establishment of primary, secondary and tertiary colleges.
The regional governments also sponsored the young students to study abroad in different fields, thereby encouraging the educational sector to continue to witness, tremendous changes, especially, with the abolition of the regional system of government and replacement with the three tier of government; federal, state and local governments.
Though, there were clear demarcations of the statutory role of each tier of government in the provision of quality education to the citizens. The fact that education is key to total liberation of the society, therefore entails that any investment in education is therefore not just money well spent, but a catalyst for the advancement of the society.
It is in the recognition of the key role of education, that Kaura Namoda local government council, under the chairmanship of Lawali Mohammed Liman, initiated a programme to further the educational standard of the area through sponsoring indigenes to tertiary colleges within and outside the country.
Under the programme 20 prospective candidates were sourced within the local government area, most of who were from poor background, with the first batch of 11 students securing admission at the Kampala University Uganda to read medicine, nursing and computer.
The idea of the council’s intervention came as result of the inability of some of the students to obtain the required credits to further their studies in medicine and other related health courses and computer sciences, and could not afford to do so because of financial constraint.
In what could be described as ‘’killing two birds with one stone’’, the council, shouldered the full academic burden of indigent students, and had to sign a bond with the successful ones, to have them work for three years before, making a move to anywhere else.
To have the full concentration of the students, the council chairman, Alhaji Lawali Liman provided each with a laptop, and necessary tools for their studies in addition to a monthly allowance for feeding and upkeep. The council’s efforts in the development of education of the younger generation coincided with the commitment of the Yari led administration in boosting the educational sector.
In a farewell message to the students, Liman urged them to be good ambassadors of Zamfara state and Nigeria as whole by strictly adhering to Uganda’s laws, as well as total commitment to their studies.
The council has sponsored 200 students for the middle cadre qualification of diploma programme at state owned polytechnic, Abdu Gusau Polytechnic Talata Mafara, Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Gusau. Commenting on the gesture, a beneficiary, Aminu Sanusi promised to justify the confidence reposed in them.
Governor Yari’s silent revolution in education has convinced the people of Zamfara state that he is for real. He has taken far-reaching measures to rescue the educational system from an impending collapse and decay of the past.
