Education Sector Witnesses Tremendous Transformation Under Gov. Ahmed Aliyu — Prof. Ala
Education Sector Witnesses Tremendous Transformation Under Gov. Ahmed Aliyu — Prof. Ala
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Muhammad Ladan Ala, says the education sector in the state has witnessed tremendous transformation under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto.
Prof. Ala stated this on Friday in Sokoto at a stakeholders’ meeting where he unveiled the myriad of achievements recorded in the sector from May 29, 2023 to date.
According to him, the most critical components of the education sector are teachers and students, and deliberate efforts have been made to address challenges affecting both.
He noted that before the coming of the present administration, teachers, particularly those in primary schools, were poorly remunerated, earning as low as N10,000, N15,000 and N25,000.
“With the coming of this administration and the implementation of the new minimum wage by His Excellency, Gov. Ahmed Aliyu, in January 2025, all those teachers earning N10,000, N15,000 or N25,000 now earn N60,000, N70,000 and above,” Ala said.
He added that since the implementation, payment of salaries has been prompt and consistent, from the 18th to 20th of every month without fail.
On infrastructure, the Commissioner said many schools were in a dilapidated condition with blown-off roofs and without chairs and other learning facilities.
He said the present administration has embarked on massive renovation and construction of schools across the state through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
Prof. Ala clarified that some of the interventions are loans being accessed by the state government and not grants as being speculated.
He further disclosed that the Ministry has strengthened routine monitoring and evaluation, which has improved punctuality and attendance among teachers, principals and students in both primary and secondary schools.
“Today, if you go to our secondary schools, you will find teachers and principals always in school. The system is now very organized and very focused,” he said.
He emphasized that education remains a top priority of the administration, stressing that the state allocated above the UNESCO threshold for education in the 2026 budget.
On innovation, Prof. Ala said the Ministry has commenced the digitization of the education sector through comprehensive data collection of all teachers and students.
“We have created a dashboard where all this data can be accessed. We are now in a world of technology, an electronic world, and we must come on board,” he said.
He assured that the government will sustain efforts to consolidate the gains and deliver on its mandate of providing quality education for the children of the state.
The event was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Sanusi Aliyu, the Executive Chairman, Teachers’ Service Board, Prof. Mustapha Namakka, and the Executive Secretary, Arabic and Islamic Education Board, Alhaji Ahmed Baba Altine, among other Chief Executives of Agencies, Special Schools and Parastatals under the Ministry.
