We Paid N1.3bn NECO/NBTE Registration Fees For 57,000 Indigent Students- Kano Governor

The Kano State governor, Abba Kabir-Yusuf, has disclosed that his administration has paid N1.3 billion to the National Examination Council and National Board for Technical Education as registration fees for 57,000 students in the state.

Kabir-Yusuf who said this on Monday in Kano while inaugurating the distribution of over two million educational materials to basic and post-basic schools, explained that the 57 students were from indigent homes and are at risk of dropping out of school.

While speaking on the educational materials to basic and post-basic schools, the governor said that his administration accorded priority to the provision of modern learning materials to public schools in the state so as to ensure quality and sound education for the children.

“The era of pupils receiving lectures on the bare floor is totally over in our state. Already, we have a blueprint to ensure the provision of furniture for public institutions.

“We are operating a responsible government that would ensure the provision of qualitative and sound education for our pupils,” he said.

The governor also disclosed that the state is constructing 130 new girls and boys schools in a bid to enroll out-of-school children in the next one year.

He said the state was also paying N20,000 monthly stipend to 40,000 indigent girls to encourage enrollment, retention and completion of schools.

He added that 5,000 members of the State Basic Education Service Delivery Association would be employed by the government.

“I directed the committee set up to screen members of the Basic Education Service Delivery Association to submit their names and qualifications for quick employment by the government,” he said.

The governor charged public office holders to ensure probity and transparency in the discharge of their duties, warning that his administration would not condone corruption and embezzlement.

Also speaking during the event, Commissioner for Education, Umar Haruna-Doguwa, pledged the state government’s commitment to enhance access to free quality education for all through provision of basic learning materials to schools.

He announced that the Kabir-Yusuf administration had reopened all closed down girls boarding schools across the state.

The commissioner commended the governor for the payment of N300 million unpaid allowances to the State Basic Education Service Delivery Association.