Jigawa State Government was commended for improving the quality of basic education in the state through strategic investments, innovative interventions, and strong political will.
This commendation was given by the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mrs. Aisha Garba, during an official visit by Governor Malam Umar Namadi to the UBEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mrs. Garba applauded Governor Namadi’s dedication, describing his visit—his second in less than three months—as a reflection of true commitment to educational transformation, just as she acknowledged that Jigawa State has accessed more than N21 billion in UBEC matching grants since 2004, placing it among the top-performing states.
“In 2024 alone, only ten states accessed their matching grants, and Jigawa is proudly among them. The only outstanding balance is for 2025, which is N6 billion,” she said.
She further underlined the review of UBEC’s funding standard, which now gives states the flexibility to prioritize renovations—a move she said was inspired by feedback from committed states like Jigawa.
“You can’t keep building new structures while the old ones are falling apart. The decision to increase the percentage allocated to renovations to up to 50% is a wise step in the right direction,” she added.
According to Mrs. Garba, Jigawa State, under Governor Namadi’s leadership, has recorded the construction of over 3,000 classrooms, 30 offices, 500 boreholes, 1,200 toilets, distribution of over 1,250 furniture items, and training of more than 17,000 teachers.
“These efforts, combined with community involvement and transparency, make Jigawa a model for other states.”
Governor Malam Umar Namadi, in his remarks, said the government took bold steps to address poor learning outcomes after an independent consultant’s survey revealed that the majority of primary school pupils could not read or write effectively.
“We were alarmed by the findings. It spurred us to act swiftly. Today, we are beginning to see real results,” he stated.
He explained that over 7,000 teachers have been recruited under his administration to strengthen basic education delivery and said that the state introduced innovative community-based strategies, such as Mothers’ Forums and revitalized School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), to improve school attendance and monitor teacher performance.
“These mothers make sure children leave home on time, attend school regularly, and don’t return until school hours are over. Their role has been transformative.”
The governor also shared details of the state’s partnership with NewGlobe, under a programme called Jigawa UNITES, aimed at improving literacy and numeracy through data-driven teaching models.
“We’ve assigned them half of our schools while we continue managing the other half, allowing us to compare and track performance. This approach helps us monitor impact objectively.”
Mrs. Garba praised the NewGlobe partnership and described it as a bold investment:
“NewGlobe is a high-value, private sector partner. Not every state can afford such a collaboration. But Jigawa’s commitment and financing show leadership that others will soon emulate.”
Governor Namadi therefore thanked UBEC for its support and emphasized the need for close collaboration, given UBEC’s central role in overseeing basic education in Nigeria.
“It’s important that we share our progress with UBEC to ensure coordinated monitoring, evaluation, and learning. At the end of the day, whatever we achieve reflects positively on the commission,” he said.
Hamisu Mohammed Gumel
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Jigawa state
April 10, 2025