Sokoto ranks among top 5 in national assesment as Aliyu pays N70,000 minimum wage to teachers
Sokoto ranks among top 5 in national assesment as Aliyu pays N70,000 minimum wage to teachers
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
Sokoto State has been ranked among the best five states in the country in the just-concluded national assessment of basic education pupils conducted by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Chairman of the Sokoto State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Alhaji Umaru Nagwari Tambuwal, disclosed this on Tuesday in Sokoto during a press briefing to mark Gov. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto’s three years in office.
“The result came out yesterday. A Director from the Federal Ministry of Education called me that Sokoto is among the best five states in the Federation,” he said.
Tambuwal said the assessment covered 100 schools across the 23 LGAs, including primary, ECCD and junior secondary schools.
He listed other achievements to include prompt payment of N70,000 minimum wage to teachers, making Sokoto the only state currently doing so.
“Sokoto State remains the only state now paying national minimum wage of N70,000 to teachers.
” They are paid on or before 23rd of every month. Before, teachers would go 2 to 3 months without pay and get N18,000,” the SUBEB boss said.
The Chairman further said the 2025 education budget has about 19 per cent of the total state budget with 85 per cent cash backing, meaning funds appropriated are released instantly.
He said the state is up to date with UBEC counterpart funding and had accessed N3.7 billion for 2025.
Tambuwal said, “For 2026, the state has another N6 billion allocation, which with state counterpart will make N12 billion.”
On infrastructure, Tambuwal said the board had renovated classrooms and built ICT centres, including a new satellite-based ICT Data Centre at the SUBEB Headquarters.
“The ICT centre is a data bank. I can sit here and see all schools in Silame. Whether teachers are coming to work or not, whether students are in class.
“It is mandatory for teachers to clock in. If they are absent we call the Education Secretary,” he said.
Tambuwal also said the government has also earmarked N6 billion for 3 mega schools to address overpopulation, noting that some schools currently have 85 pupils to 1 teacher against the international standard of 25:1.
Alhaji Umaru Nagwari Tambuwal, then, appealed to communities to take ownership of school infrastructure to prevent vandalism.
