The Nasarawa State government has earmarked ₦12 billion to improve infrastructure in primary and secondary schools, the commissioner for education, John Mamman, said.

Mr Mamman stated this in an interview with journalists in his office on Friday in Lafia, the state capital.

The commissioner gave the breakdown of the infrastructural development to include the construction of 30 new classrooms and the renovation of 690 existing primary and secondary schools.

He explained that the amount was part of a counterpart fund with the federal government and World Bank to execute the project through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE).

The commissioner said Governor Abdullahi Sule had approved ₦150 million, which the state had already paid, as a share of the counterpart fund for the first phase of the programme.

“The governor is willing to pay more this year so that we can improve the standard of infrastructures in our schools,” Mr Mamman said.

He said other projects under the initiative included the construction of boreholes, toilets and perimeter fencing in all the schools to guard against encroachment.

Mr Mamman further said the government was working hard to fix all the students in Tsangaya schools (Almajiri) in formal schools through the bilingual initiative to ensure all children have access to quality formal education.

The commissioner appreciated the state governor for prioritising the education sector by allocating the highest amount in the state budget since the inception of his administration in 2019.

He further disclosed that the state government had already rehabilitated 80 classrooms among the ones affected by windstorms during the last rainy season.

Mr Mamman said the ministry is working towards fixing the remaining ones to enable teachers and students to learn in conducive environments.

“We recently distributed instructional materials worth N46 million to public secondary and private schools in the state to boost teaching and learning.

“Anyone caught diverting the instructional materials will be severely punished to serve as a deterrent to others,” the commissioner added. 

(NAN)