Governor Umar Namadi has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to teachers’ welfare, continuous professional development, and recruitment to strengthen the education sector across Jigawa State.
Speaking at the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the Nuhu Muhammadu Sanusi Durbar Ground in Dutse, Governor Namadi commended teachers for their hard work, resilience, and dedication to duty, describing teaching as the foundation of every other profession.
He said, “On behalf of the government and the entire people of Jigawa State, I wish to express our profound gratitude and sincere appreciation to all teachers for their tireless efforts in imparting knowledge and shaping the future of our children.”
He emphasized the crucial role of teachers in nation-building, noting that teaching serves as the foundation for all other professions.
“Every accomplished professional, in whatever field every professor, every politician, every business tycoon, every learned individual had a teacher he or she revered in life. We often recall them with nostalgia and deep appreciation for the vital role they played in shaping our lives. Is there any profession more noble and more rewarding than teaching? I believe there is none.”
Malam Umar Namadi described teachers as role models and mentors who provide moral guidance and inspiration to pupils and students alike.
“Teachers play the role of parents and provide moral guidance and inspiration for pupils and students to grow up as functional and productive members of the society. This is precisely why most often people say that the reward of teachers is in heaven and this is true if teachers see what they are doing as service to humanity.”
Namadi also announced that an executive bill is before the state house of assembly for the establishment of the state teacher development agency, which will focus exclusively on teacher training, retraining, and professional capacity development.
“The objectives of the Bill therefore include, among others, enhancing the capacity of teaching and non-teaching staffs at both the basic and post-basic levels, undertaking capacity-building programs at the basic and post-basic levels, and enhancing teaching methodologies. Only through an agency established for this purpose would teacher development be given the actual attention it deserves.
“This underscores our concerns towards professional teacher development to ensure that our children get the opportunity to receive quality teaching from high-quality teachers. The quality of our pupils and students is directly related to the quality of our teachers.”
Earlier, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers NUT, Comrade Abdulkadir Yunusa Jigawa, commended the state government for its continuous support to the education sector.
Yunusa highlighted several achievements under Governor Namadi’s leadership, including the promotion of over 16,000 teachers, implementation of a ₦70,000 minimum wage, and recruitment of more than 10,000 teachers across the state
Comrade Yunusa also commended the governor for introducing digital reforms in schools, fencing off education facilities for safety, and establishing critical agencies such as the Jigawa State Senior Secondary School Education Board, Jigawa Education Resource Agency (JERA), Education Quality Assurance Agency (JISEQA), and the Teacher Training and Development Agency (JITDA).
He further acknowledged the government’s allocation of 32% of the state’s budget to education, exceeding UNESCO’s recommendation, and praised the reinstatement of the Best Teacher Award as motivation for excellence in the teaching profession.
USMAN MZ
