The Kano government has spent N1.3 billion on the payment of the National Examination Council and National Board for Technical Education registration fees for 57,000 indigent students.

The state governor, Abba Kabir-Yusuf, stated this on Monday in Kano while inaugurating the distribution of over two million educational materials to basic and post-basic schools.

He said that his administration accorded priority to the provision of modern learning materials to public schools in the state.

“The era of pupils receiving lectures on the bare floor is totally over in our state. Already, we have a blueprint to ensure the provision of furniture for public institutions.

“We are operating a responsible government that will ensure the provision of qualitative and sound education for our pupils,” he said.

According to Mr Kabir-Yusuf, the state government is constructing 130 new girls’ and boys’ schools in a bid to enrol out-of-school children in the next year.

He said the state was also paying N20,000 monthly stipend to 40,000 indigent girls to encourage enrollment, retention, and completion of school.

While 5,000 members of the state basic education service delivery association would be employed by the government,

“I directed the committee set up to screen members of the Basic Education Service Delivery Association to submit their names and qualifications for quick employment by the government,” he said.

The governor charged public officeholders to ensure probity and transparency in the discharge of their duties, warning that his administration would not condone corruption and embezzlement.

Earlier, the commissioner for education, Umar Haruna-Doguwa, reiterated the state government’s commitment to enhance access to free, quality education for all through the provision of basic learning materials to schools.

He said Mr Yusuf’s administration had reopened all closed-down girls boarding schools across the state.

Mr Haruna-Doguwa lauded the governor over the payment of N300 million in unpaid allowances to the State Basic Education Service Delivery Association.

(NAN)