State Of Emergency: Catalyst For Education Reforms In Yobe (II)

The Executive Governor of Yobe State Mai Mala Buni has signed the 2025 budget into law recently.

His words:

“this administration is committed to judicious use and investment of our resources into people oriented programmes and projects, especially, education, Healthcare delivery, agriculture, Infrastructural development, wealth Creation, and empowerment to stimulate economic growth”.

He also charged the new Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Alhaji Babayo Umar to key into the government efforts to advance basic education through ensuring qualitative teaching and learning, provision of instructional materials and conducive environment.

“You should ensure effective monitoring and supervision in the schools, and the execution of all projects awarded by the board”.

It could be recall, for over a decade Yobe State witnessed incessant insurgents attacks which resulted to the disruptions of school activities.

The consquencial effects of the disruptions necessitated declaration of State of Emergency On Basic And Secondary Education Sector by Governor, Mai Mala Buni administration.

Buni’s giant strides rekindled the hope of the Yobe citizens in to believing that the future seems to be looking great again.

Running The Basic Education In Nigeria:

For instance, in the last thirty five years or so, the Federal Government has virtually intervened over the management of Primary Education in the country.

The process began in 1988, when the National Primary Education Commission (NPEC) was established to see to the revitalization of Primary Education.

Correspondingly, the Commission was dissolved in an effort to move the liability of Primary Education back to the Local Governments; in fact within short period from 1991 – 1993 the whole system almost fell to brink of total collapse; it was glaring then the Local Governments cannot withstand the load.

In fact, at that moment all over the Country Primary School Teachers embarked on incessant and prolonged strike actions demanding for their unpaid salaries.

These necessitated the Federal Government to respond through Decree No 96 by re-establishing (NPEC) and require all state to establish the State Primary Education Boards (SPEBs).

The Decree provided for deploying (NPEC) and (SPEBs) as channels for disbursement of the Federal Funds needed to finance the Primary Education System.

Sequel to this development, (NPEC) now, called the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), while (SPEBs) became State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEBs) both serves as parallel structure to that of the State Ministries of Education (MOE), they took over the Management of Basic Education in the States using the Local Government Education Authority (L.G.E.A) to run the schools on a day-to-day basis.

While The Federal Ministry of Education has the overall responsibility for formulating national policies and guidelines for standardisation of Education across all levels in Nigeria.

Hamisu Ado Nguru writes from Damaturu, Yobe State, and can be reached at
danauwa@gmail.com

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