GOVERNOR GANDUJE: Building solid foundation for education in Kano

 Education, experts say, “is the best legacy a country can give to her citizens, a human right that should be accorded to all human beings solely by reason of being humKano being the most populous state in the country is blessed with a Governor with vision whose motto is, “Unless we educate our younger ones and equip them with necessary skills, our population would become a threat to us and the nation at large.”

Against this backdrop, the governor of Kano State Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has paid great attention to the development of the state’s educational sector since his administration, with the view to improve teaching and learning process so as to produce youths who would take the mantle of leadership tomorrow.

To meet up with its world counter parts, Kano state government has recently purchased and distributed over 3,500 computers to tertiary institutions in the state, as part of efforts to build IT capacity among youths.

The move, the governor said, is aimed at not only encouraging students to be computer literate, but part of broad initiatives to leverage on the ICT sector to fast track economic development.

Gov Ganduje pledged that the state government will continue to partner with all relevant agencies within and outside the state to support digital innovation by students.

As part of efforts to encourage it’s youths studying abroad also, the Kano State Executive Council, under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has approved the sum of N115,400,477 for the payment of upkeep and other allowances, for three months, in respect of its 459 students studying in six different countries.

The students are on the State Government’s Scholarship, pursuing various postgraduate and undergraduate programmes in various universities which include China, India, Cyprus, Egypt, Uganda and Sudan.

Also the sum of N138 million was released for the settlement of outstanding school fees for 89 students sponsored by the immediate past administration to study at Mideast Aviation Academy, Jordan.

N389.3 million has also been approved for 377 state-sponsored students at Bells University of Technology Otta, Ogun State for 2014-2015 and 2015– 2016 academic sessions.

N120 million also have been approved to the Kano Polytechnic for accreditation and visitation by the National Board of Technical Education.

Apart of renovations, provision of needed materials and equipments in the state schools as well as provision of funds where necessary, under the Leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, 502 in-service returnees have completed various training programmes aimed at developing their teaching methods and skills and report back for further posting to schools.

450 applicants have received “Temporary release letters” for in-service training programmes in various institutions of higher learning.

To meet up with the large number of people in need of modern education, 1,905 temporary teaching staff were converted to permanent and pensionable appointment to address the problem of shortage of professional man power in the sector.

The state’s Department of Higher Education which is given the mandate for admission drive, among other responsibilities, has succeeded in seeking admissions for over 14,721 students into various institutions across the country out of which it has accomplished admissions for over 6,982 students.

As a result of the utmost importance attached to education by Gov Ganduje, the Kano State government is planning to integrate Quranic School pupils better known as Almajiri, into the formal education system and also to recruit their teachers to teach Quranic knowledge in formal schools across the state in order bring to an end the menace of street begging which some parents have associated with the Qur’anic knowledge.

Also the administration is to maintain the scholarships offered to students to study for degree and post graduate degrees abroad. Government would continue to award overseas scholarships to deserving Kano sons but with emphasis on technical courses.

Despite dwindling state of the economy, Ganduje defied the trend and moved on vigorously to all sectors of education in his bid to attain the desirable results.

Ganduje’s unyielding quest to encourage students in Kano led to his government spending over N90m for the registrations of over five thousand students who sat for the national common entrance which will pave way for their admissions into various Federal Government Colleges across the nation after several years of non participation.

To provide a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning across the state, Ganduje has approved the sum of N440m as intervention funds to the 44 local government areas of the state; the money is meant for the renovation of dilapidated primary and secondary schools in different local government areas of the state during the inauguration of a committee on education promotion.

Other subsequent interventions, it was disclosed, include, N142m for the renovation of Government Secondary School, Albasu, more than N18m already spent on purchase and distribution of JAMB forms to prospective candidates in the state, accessing of N1.7b Universal Basic Education counterpart funding to renovate primary schools across the state.

With efforts so far put in place by his Excellency the Governor of Kano State Dr. Abdullah Umar Ganduje, schools at various levels are expected to educate future leaders and develop high level technical capacities needed for economic growth and development.