Sokoto constructs 111 schools as education levy hits N1.1b

The Sokoto State Government has constructed 111 schools from the education levy being deducted from the salaries of civil servants and other public officers in the state.

The fund is managed by the 37-member Sokoto State Consultative Committee on Education Development headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar.

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It was established in 2017 following the agreement reached with representatives of various workers’ unions.

Speaking on their achievements, the Secretary to the Committee, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Gidadawa said the sum of N1, 120,943,592 was generated by the committee from May 16, 2017, to May 5, 2020.

He explained that the sum of N801, 725,514.16 had so far been expended on various projects and programmes.

Gidadawa reeled out some of the projects executed in the first phase of the programme, which includes, six blocks of 6-classrooms, two in each of the senatorial districts.

The structures consist of laboratories, computer laboratory and administrative blocks.

The buildings are serviced by solar-powered boreholes with overhead tanks (500 litres) and solar-powered electricity to ease teaching and learning.

The benefitting communities were Gagi, Danchadi, Horo Birni, Katami, Araba and Dan-tudu.

However, Gidadawa, who is also the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, said the projects intended to cover all the 86 districts in the state.

He noted that seven more of these schools were being constructed in communities identified to be in critical need of educational infrastructure across the senatorial districts.

He disclosed further that 100 shelter facilities with toilets were built for Integrated Qur’anic schools as Early Child Care and Development Centres (ECCDC) across the 86 districts.

“We have provided all the schools with two categories of furniture suitable for both primary and secondary pupils, in addition to adequate instructional materials and befitting offices for the convenience of management and other staff.”

Gidadawa also noted that the committee sustained a series of regular and periodic enlightenment campaigns on radio and television towards re-orienting the general public, especially rural dwellers.