Katsina Invests N6.1bn In 110 Schools Under New Grant Scheme

The Katsina State Government has invested N6.1 billion in an education intervention targeting 110 secondary schools under the second phase of the School Improvement Grants programme across the state.

The initiative, flagged off by Governor Dikko Radda, is aimed at strengthening the education sector, upgrading school infrastructure, and improving learning outcomes as part of ongoing reforms in basic and secondary education.

The governor announced the disbursement during a ceremony held at the TESS Project Office in Katsina, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the education sector through sustained investment in infrastructure, teacher development, and inclusive learning.

According to Governor Radda, the initiative, valued at ₦6,116,343,477, is designed to improve learning conditions in schools by addressing critical infrastructural deficits and expanding access to quality education.

“Our vision is to build an education system that is inclusive, functional, accountable, and capable of preparing our children to compete effectively in the modern world,” the governor stated.

He explained that the intervention would fund the construction of additional classrooms, renovation of dilapidated school structures, provision of gender-sensitive toilet facilities, and the supply of safe drinking water in line with Universal Basic Education Commission standards.

As part of the event, Governor Radda also commissioned a newly constructed 500-capacity conference hall at the TESS Project Office and distributed specialised learning materials to students with special needs at the School for the Blind in Katsina and the School for the Deaf in Malumfashi.

The governor highlighted achievements recorded under the TESS Project, including the distribution of Mathematics, English, and Computer Studies textbooks to pupils, provision of digital tablets for teachers, and training of 28,000 teachers on modern teaching methods and structured pedagogy.

He further disclosed that assistive learning devices had been provided to schools catering for children with special needs, while CCTV cameras had been installed in 130 schools to improve security and create safer learning environments.

Additionally, motorcycles were distributed to Monitoring and Evaluation Officers across the 34 Local Government Education Authorities to strengthen supervision, particularly in rural communities.

Governor Radda urged School-Based Management Committees, teachers, parents, and community leaders to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of the funds.

“These funds must be utilised with the highest level of transparency, prudence, and accountability, strictly in accordance with the approved guidelines,” he emphasised.

To ensure proper implementation, the state government constituted a monitoring committee comprising representatives of anti-corruption agencies, the State Project Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Team, the Katsina State Development Management Board, and the Office of the Head of Service.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Suleiman Jibia, said the AGILE Project was promoting inclusive education through the distribution of specialised learning materials for students with disabilities.

He described education as the foundation for national development and social transformation, stressing the importance of equal learning opportunities for all children regardless of physical condition or learning challenges.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Kabir Magaji, commended Governor Radda for what he described as remarkable achievements in the education sector.

Meanwhile, the State Project Coordinator of the AGILE Project, Abubakar Abdulhamid, disclosed that over 104,000 girls had benefited from the project’s conditional cash transfer programme aimed at encouraging school attendance and reducing dropout rates.

According to him, the project has improved transition rates from primary to junior secondary school to 71 per cent, while transition from junior to senior secondary school has risen to 89 per cent.

He added that 75 new secondary schools had been constructed under the project, with 65 already completed and handed over, while 581 secondary schools had benefited from School Improvement Grants.

Similarly, the TESS Project Coordinator, Hajiya Binta Abdulmumini, said the project had procured an 18-seater vehicle to improve project supervision across the state.

She noted that 25,000 copies each of Mathematics, English, and Computer Studies textbooks had been distributed to primary school pupils, while 70 motorcycles were procured for Monitoring and Evaluation Officers and Quality Assurance Officers across the state.

The event attracted top government officials, development partners, and other stakeholders in the education sector.