The Jigawa State Government has earmarked N400 million for the renovation of seven tsangaya schools in the state.

The Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Tsangaya Education Board, Dr Abubakar Maje, made the disclosure shortly after defending the board’s budget for 2025 fiscal year before the Jigawa House of Assembly Committee on Education, in Dutse on Thursday.

Mr Maje said the sum of N1.82 billion was approved by the state government as the total money to be spent by the board on capital and recurrent expenditure in 2025.

He explained that N400m would be used to renovate the existing seven tsangaya schools established by the Federal Government in 2012.

The schools were established to integrate the Tsangaya Islamic education into the western system of education and to tackle the problem of out-of-school children, including almajiris.

The pilot scheme took off in 2012 in Niger, Kano, Adamawa, Yobe, Katsina, Oyo, and Jigawa states.

Seven of the schools were established in different locations across the selected local government areas in Jigawa State.

“We planned to spend N400 million to renovate the seven tsangaya schools established by the federal government in Gwiwa, Jahun, Sulenkarkar, Maigatari, Birniwa, Kirikasamma and Buji LGAs. The first thing we intend to do is to renovate these schools as they are currently in dilapidated condition and when I approached our governor about this, he quickly approved the renovation of all the seven schools,” Mr Maje said.

He explained that the development would enable the board to enrol more students, particularly those out of school.

The executive secretary added that when renovated, the schools are expected to admit 7,500 more students.

“Our target is to enroll 2,000 more pupils in each of the two biggest schools in Gwiwa and Gantsa because they’re the biggest. While in the remaining five schools we planned to enroll 500 more pupils,” the executive secretary said.

According to him, the board also planned to hold a three-day sensitization and awareness creation workshop for Islamic teachers across the state with a view to identify and address grey areas with regards to tsangaya education system.

“During this workshop, there will be a question and answer session where grey areas will be identified in order to address them for the success of the system,” Mr Maje assured.

He added that the tsangaya education system has three components: tsangaya (recitation hall), conventional class, where pupils will be taught English language, mathematics and science as well as skills acquisition classes, where pupils will be trained in Plaster of Paris (POP), carpentry, plumbing, among other trades.

He stated, “This is to enable the students to become self-reliant after graduation, without waiting for white collar job.”

(NAN)