The Sultan Of Sokoto Explains The Reasons For The North’s Educational Lag....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has pinpointed the cause of educational underdevelopment in the Northern region of Nigeria. The first-class monarch, speaking at a conference in Abuja organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation with the theme, “Education in Northern Nigeria: Status, Challenges, and the Way Forward,” stated that the failure to implement past recommendations is the primary reason for educational setbacks in the North.

He emphasized that the region will continue to face the same challenges if previous panel recommendations are not taken seriously or put into action. As the Chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, representing 20 first-class traditional rulers, the Sultan of Sokoto stressed the urgency of implementing recommendations for educational development in the North.

The Sultan urged stakeholders in the Northern region to demonstrate greater commitment to implementing these recommendations, as repeated conferences will yield no progress without decisive actions. He commended former Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, and her team for conducting research and provided recommendations that he encouraged stakeholders to form a committee to implement.

In her presentation on the research outcomes about the state of education in the North, Professor Ruqayyatu pointed out challenges such as the inability to enroll school-age children, inadequate funding, lack of political will, and the absence of guidance and counseling services. She recommended solutions, including building more schools, expanding school feeding programs, ensuring timely payment of salaries, and recruiting qualified teachers.

Babangida Aliyu, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, highlighted that 50% of teachers in the North are not qualified, emphasizing the need for the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE) as the minimum requirement for teachers. The Northern region has a deficit of qualified teachers, as no state meets the minimum 50% requirement of qualified teachers with NCE certification.

Ibrahim Shekarau, the chairman of the organizing committee, emphasized the urgent need for action to address educational challenges in the North and called on stakeholders to take these findings as a wake-up call.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, stressed the importance of inspirational leadership for societal development, while the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, discussed the removal of subsidies and exchange rate unification to fund critical sectors such as education.

The JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, pointed out that the number of candidates seeking admission from the Northern region is not well-represented, as individuals from other regions are filling the quota. He suggested that Northerners should stay in other parts of Nigeria for education and job opportunities instead of returning to their home states for employment.

Prominent attendees at the conference included Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Special Adviser on Political Matters; Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar CFR; Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli CFR; Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman; and Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Chris Jibreel Maiyaki, among others.