In a bold move to revitalise the education sector, Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State on Wednesday launched the distribution of learning materials, vehicles, and motorcycles worth N2.7 billion to public schools across the state.
The official flag-off ceremony, held in Birnin Kebbi, underscored the governor’s resolve to deliver free and quality education, reaffirming Kebbi’s identity as not only an agrarian state but also “an education state.”
“Today, we are distributing over two million books to primary and secondary schools across the state. This is part of our mission to make education accessible and impactful for every child in Kebbi,” Governor Idris said.
The educational materials include textbooks, exercise books, computers, motorcycles, and vehicles—all aimed at improving teaching and learning conditions in public schools.
Governor Idris also highlighted major strides made by his administration, including the renovation and furnishing of more than 2,000 schools, the construction of mega schools across the state’s four Emirates, and the disbursement of N2 billion to cover registration fees for Kebbi’s indigenous students in tertiary institutions.
As part of a wide-ranging employment push, the governor announced the recruitment of 2,000 teachers—bringing the total number of professionals employed in the state in the past two years to 5,000, including healthcare workers and legal personnel.
The governor further recalled his efforts as former President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), where he championed the extension of teachers’ retirement age from 35 to 40 years— a policy now fully implemented in Kebbi.
In a strategic move to raise educational standards at the grassroots, professors of Kebbi origin have been appointed to chair all Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs), each receiving an official vehicle and enhanced allowances to drive performance.
Commissioner for Education, Dr. Halima Bande, urged stakeholders to maximise the use of the distributed materials and called on teachers and administrators to uphold the new educational standards in the state.
Lending his support, Hon. Garba Bena, Chairman of the House Committee on Education, commended the governor’s educational reforms and noted the swift legislative approval of the teachers’ service extension bill.
Prof. Suleiman Khalid-Jega, Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), described the initiative as unprecedented. He highlighted achievements such as the construction of over 1,000 classrooms, provision of boreholes, and delivery of both hardware and software resources to schools.
He further revealed that each School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) has been allocated N200,000, while over 18,000 teachers and education administrators have undergone training aimed at improving learning outcomes.
“With Kebbi now surpassing the national average in key subjects like Mathematics, English, and Basic Science, it’s clear that Governor Idris is laying a solid foundation for the future of education in the state,” Khalid-Jega concluded.
