4th December, 2018
The Niger Government says it has secured a loan facility of N2 billion through its Universal Basic Education Board for 10,000 teachers.
The State Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, disclosed this during the ministry’s 2019 budget defence before the Niger House of Assembly Committee on Education on Tuesday in Minna.
Madugu said that the facility was obtained to motivate the teachers to put in their best and promote learning.
She said that 150 new teachers were recruited in 2018 and posted to schools to beef up the staff strength.
The commissioner, however, decried the low releases of the ministry’s budgetary funds in 2018, adding that it had affected the completion of ongoing projects in the sector.
On the 2019 budget, she said N1.4 billion was earmarked for capital projects, adding that the funds would be utilised to complete all ongoing projects and upgrade the existing infrastructure.
“Priority areas of the 2019 budget include commencement of the second phase of the whole school development approach.
“Other areas are the renovation of Government Technical College, Minna, Government Technical College Eyagi-Bida, Government Vocational Technical College, Rijau and Ahmadu Bahago Secondary School, Minna.
Also in the priority list is the construction of new structures at Teachers Institutes at Agaie and Nasarawa Kainji,” she said.
The House Committee Chairman on Education, Bako Alfa, cautioned the ministry against extra-budgetary spending without recourse to the assembly.
Alfa assured the ministry of the committee’s support to ensure smooth implementation of its budget.