It is an ineluctable fact that benefits of education are societal and personal. It is also observed that any society with high rates of education completion has lower crime, better overall health, and civic involvement. Beyond the need for workers to fill specific jobs, there are grander reasons to encourage people to be educated, being the reasons the Governor of Kebbi state, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, is prioritiding the education of his people.
More so, education leads to economic prosperity in the global marketplace. One of the most important effects education has on society is giving the people the skills they need to compete in the global marketplace, and to produce technological goods or services that can be sold in the open market.
Upon assumption of office, and having realised the importance of education to the growth of any society such as Kebbi state. It is on record that the education sector in Kebbi state had suffered serious neglect by previous administrations but today under the leadership of Bagudu, the sector has witnessed tremendous turn around, creating a conducive atmosphere for learning and teaching process.
However, the change mantra of Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has extended its olive branch to the sector. The story is now a happy one. In the last five years, the Kebbi state government undertook massive renovation and reconstruction of new and existing primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the state. It will be recalled that, even before he was sworn in as the governor of the state, Bagudu made numerous unscheduled visits to primary and secondary schools, as well as some tertiary institutions in the state, with a view of having first hand information and personal assessment of the schools in the state. In his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, the governor noted that the sector is in a shambles, schools are overstretched and without qualified teachers and infrastructure like classes, toilets and dormitories are in ruins.
To demonstrate his determination to overhaul the education sector in the state, education received the highest allocation in Bagudu’s maiden budget. Governor Bagudu doled out over N5 billion for the renovation of both primary and secondary schools in the state, including setting aside additional funds for the purchase of assorted learning materials in that same year to 2016.
Bagudu is one of the governors not only in the northern part of the country but in Nigeria at large that has continuously and physical inspected school facilities. Keeping his electioneering campaign promises, the governor set the ball rolling in the education sector by embarking on massive public schools’ rehabilitation to the tune of billions of naira, with the aim of improving and changing the sector, as well as making schools students’ and teachers’ friendly for learning.
Since he assumed office as the number one citizen of Kebbi state, Bagudu has awarded a contract for the renovation of 25 secondary schools across the state. The schools cut across the six zones; Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Jega, Yauri, and Zuru to enhance teaching and learning. In 2019, Governor Bagudu also approved the recruitment of 3,000 teachers for schools across the state. Girls secondary schools across the state from each of the three senatorial zones were provided with new buses to facilitate their movement, to take part in sports and extracurricular activities, within and outside the state.
More so, as a responsible leader, since he assumed office, Governor Bagudu has ensured the prompt payment of scholarship to students studying at various institutions of higher learning, within and outside the state, including the payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees for secondary school students of the state, this residents of the state considered as kind hearted nature of him.
It is also on record that the Kebbi government had upgraded three higher institutions which are under the Ministry of Higher Education. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Higher Education in the State, Dr. Isa Muhammad Sama, confirmed the development. The three institutions upgraded are Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu, the Kebbi State School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birnin Kebbi and the School of Health Technology, Jega.
Adubi writes from Kaduna
