Governor Malam Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has reaffirmed his administration’s firm commitment to educational reform, declaring that his government deliberately overhauled the entire education system to drive development in the state.
He made the remarks during a courtesy visit by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Hussaini Adamu Polytechnic, Kazaure, who presented him with the Most Outstanding Education-Friendly Governor of the Decade award.
Governor Namadi said his administration, after reviewing the challenges facing the sector, decided to reset the system from the ground up—starting from basic to tertiary education.
He noted that the decision to declare a state of emergency in basic education led to a partnership with New Globe, a globally recognized educational firm.
Though costly, the governor said the investment was necessary and well-studied before being approved by the State Executive Council.
At the tertiary level, the governor revealed that the state undertook a bold step by overhauling leadership in all state-owned higher institutions.
He said politics was set aside to appoint competent academic professionals to head institutions and governing councils.
“For the first time, all heads of our tertiary institutions are new appointees with strong academic backgrounds,” the governor stated.
Governor Namadi added that the establishment of the Jigawa-Compete initiative emerged from a survey by the ICT and Higher Education teams, aimed at integrating technology and innovation into higher learning.
He expressed gratitude to ASUP for the honour and said the award was a result of collective efforts from his cabinet, civil servants, and the people of Jigawa State.
The governor urged the union to continue offering constructive criticism, saying his administration remains open to ideas that will further strengthen the education system.
In his remarks, ASUP Chairman Comrade Nuruddeen Abdullahi Yusuf commended the governor for placing education at the center of his administration’s agenda.
He praised initiatives like J-TECH, J-AGRO, and J-HEALTH job creation programs, scholarships for girl-child education, and the full sponsorship of over 120 underprivileged students, many of them women to study medicine abroad.
Comrade Yusuf added that although ASUP members are federal workers, Governor Namadi’s policies have positively impacted the lives of all residents of Jigawa State.
The event ended with assurances of continuous collaboration between ASUP and the Jigawa State Government for the advancement of education.
Usman MZ
