By Usman Muhammed Zaria
Governor Umar Namadi says the Jigawa State Government will continue its efforts to address the shortage of qualified teachers and bridge gaps in pupil-teacher and student-teacher ratios across the state.
He stated this during the presentation of appointment letters to 2,020 teachers at the Government House in Dutse, the state capital.
Umar Namadi recalled that barely a month ago, the government provided school uniforms, bags and writing materials to thousands of learners to improve access to education and strengthen learning conditions.
According to him, the exercise complements that investment by expanding the teaching workforce and deploying qualified teachers to schools with acute shortage, particularly in underserved rural communities.
He pointed out that, appointment letters are being presented to two thousand and twenty beneficiaries, comprising one thousand two hundred former J-TEACH personnel now converted to permanent and pensionable status, and eight hundred and twenty newly recruited J-TEACH personnel.
Malam Umar Namadi further explained that beyond strengthening the teaching workforce at post basic level, the appointments will create jobs and sustainable livelihoods for qualified youths.
He also announced the distribution of 450 bicycles donated by a bank to pupils and students who trek long distances to schools in hard to reach communities.
According to him, the gesture will ease burden of daily travel and improve punctuality, attendance and retention, while commending the bank for complementing the state government’s effort.
Namadi reiterated that education remains central to his administration’s vision for a Greater Jigawa, noting that it will continue to commit significant proportion of its budget to the sector.
He saluted teachers for their resilience and dedication, describing them as foundation of learning, and assured that his government will sustain attention to training, retraining and professional development through the Teacher Development Agency.
The governor noted that since 2023, the J-TEACH pathway has brought 7,500 personnel into basic education, with 3,000 converted to permanent status, while nearly 2,,000 entered post basic level with 1,000 thousand later secured permanent appointment.
He urged the state ministry of higher education and school administrators to ensure postings are guided by verified need, merit and subject specialisation, and to prevent imbalance between urban and rural schools.
Governor Namadi charged the new appointees to be punctual, disciplined and dedicated, and called on traditional leaders, parents and communities to support them to ensure every child has access to qualified teacher and quality education.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
