The Management of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) has held its maiden strategic engagement with Education Secretaries from the 25 Local Government Areas of the state, marking a significant step towards aligning grassroots leadership with the Board’s new reform agenda.
In his Welcome address, the Board's Secretary, Dr. Aminu Aliyu Wushishi, described the meeting as timely and essential, noting that Education Secretaries serve as “the gatekeepers and frontline officers directly responsible for driving basic education at the community level.” He emphasized that the interface was designed to provide first-hand insight into the policy thrust and reform direction of the new NSUBEB management, and to ensure the active alignment of all actors toward achieving quality basic education for every school-age child.
In his maiden address to the Secretaries, the Executive Chairman of NSUBEB, Dr. Ibrahim A. Liman, reaffirmed the central role of Education Secretaries as major stakeholders in the basic education value chain. He assured them of the Board’s commitment to involving them in all reform processes, policy formulation, and implementation efforts.
Dr. Liman urged the Secretaries to demonstrate dedication, discipline, and proactiveness in the discharge of their duties, stressing that the present leadership will not tolerate acts capable of undermining the mandate entrusted to them by the administration of the Farmer Governor. He reiterated the Board’s resolve to reconstruct dilapidated schools, strengthen teacher training and retraining, and ensure that Education Secretaries play a meaningful role in identifying priority needs at the grassroots.
Also delivering a goodwill message, the Director General, Schools and Education Reform, Hajiya Maimuna Mohammed, emphasized the critical need for accurate school data, strong school leadership, and equitable deployment of teachers across LGAs. She noted that the Directorate remains committed to fostering policy harmonization and coordination among relevant agencies to prevent duplication of efforts.
The State Caretaker Committee of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) also addressed the gathering, formally notifying the Education Secretaries of the dissolution of all existing PTA structures across the state. Speaking on behalf of the committee, Hajiya Aisha Indo Abubakar directed the Secretaries to immediately dissolve PTA bodies at school and LGA levels and inaugurate caretaker committees in their place. She explained that the mandate of the interim committee is to establish a fresh and credible leadership for the association in due course.
Responding on behalf of the Education Secretaries, the Dean of Education Secretaries and Chanchaga LGA Education Secretary, Dr. Usman Tukura, commended the courage and political will of the NSUBEB management in its effort to transform the state’s basic education system. He highlighted key challenges faced at the LGA level, including inadequate monitoring vehicles, the need for upward review of monthly imprest, and improved working conditions. Dr. Tukura assured the Board of their total loyalty and unwavering support in the execution of its mandate.
The meeting marks a renewed commitment to strengthening basic education delivery through collaboration, accountability, and aligned reforms across all levels of administration in Niger State.