The Northern States Governors’ Forum has resolved to abolish payment of fees in secondary schools in the region in a bid to boost enrolment of students.
Its Chairman, Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger, made this known in Minna on Monday at the National Association of Nigerian Students’ (NANS) award ceremony to distinguished Nigerians.
The forum also agreed to harmonise fees in its tertiary institutions and reintroduce the “Grade 2 Teachers Training Programme’’, abolished in Nigeria to improve the standard of teaching in schools.
Represented by Dr Muhammad Nuhu, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Aliyu said that the forum also decided to close the educational gap between male and female students in the region.
Aliyu, who described education as the bedrock of any development, said they had also resolved to establish schools of preliminary studies to prepare students for admission into tertiary institutions.
He said an education conference aimed at addressing the problems associated with the development of education in the region, the problem of Almajiri and falling standard of education will be held soon.
Aliyu said the state government had computerised the payment of scholarship to students in tertiary institutions and introduced the scratch card to all beneficiaries to block wastage.
He said the state government was spending an average of N1.8 billion on scholarship and other allowances yearly.
The governor commended NANS for the recognition of those that had contributed to the growth of education in the region.
Aliyu assured that the state government would collaborate with NANS to construct its befitting secretariat in Minna.
Earlier, the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, who was a special guest at the event, commended the governor for the transformation of the state. [NAN]
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