Northern Governors Abolish Fees In Secondary Schools

Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) yesterday announced the abolition of fees in secondary schools in the region.

 It has agreed to harmonise fees paid in state-owned tertiary institutions in the region.

 Chairman of the forum and Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said the governors took these decisions to reposition education in the area.

 Aliyu, who spoke at the National Association of Niger State Students (NANISS) national award ceremony in Minna, said the forum would re-introduce the Grade 2 teacher training programme abolished across the country to improve teaching in schools.

 Represented by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Muhammad Bashir Nuhu, the NSGF Chairman said an education summit aimed at addressing the problems impeding the growth and development of education in the area would be held soon.

 He said the forum decided to close the educational gap between male and female pupils and tackle the problem of Almajiri.

 The governor said his administration computerised the payment of scholarship to students in tertiary institutions and introduced scratch cards to beneficiaries as a way of plugging wastage.

 He said the administration paid out over N1.8 billion as scholarship and allowances.

 Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers and Etsu Nupe Yahaya Abubakar, represented by the Emir of Lapai, Umaru Bago, praised the governor for transforming the state.

 He hailed the non-discriminatory fees policy of the administration.