Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, has allocated N1 billion for the training of basic-level teachers, aiming to enhance the education sector across the state’s 27 local government areas.
Zulum made this announcement on Tuesday during the inauguration of newly appointed local government education secretaries, who will oversee primary education affairs in their respective LGAs.
The governor highlighted that more than 1,000 teachers with O-Level certificates as their highest qualification will undergo additional training to meet minimum teaching standards.
The training initiative, as explained by Governor Zulum, will encompass teachers without formal teaching qualifications but deemed trainable based on the results of a competency test.
Governor Zulum recalled his administration’s efforts since 2019 to reconstruct schools destroyed by conflicts, aiming to improve learning outcomes. He noted that these efforts have significantly reduced the number of out-of-school children from over two million to eight hundred thousand.
“I must emphasise that with great privilege comes great responsibility. Therefore, I have directed the Honourable Commissioner for Education to furnish me with quarterly reports on the performance of each education secretary. Those failing to meet expectations will be replaced,” Zulum stated.
The governor charged the newly appointed education secretaries to meet and exceed expectations, cautioning that underperforming individuals would be replaced.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Engr Lawan Abba Wakilbe, explained that the selection process for competent and qualified education secretaries involved issuing advertisements in December, resulting in about 126 applications.
