Governor Dauda Lawal has given his approval for a 120-day Rapid Intervention Action Plan designed to address critical systemic deficiencies in Zamfara State's education sector.
On Monday, the governor presided over a session of the State Executive Council held at the Government House in Gusau.
"As part of the deliberations by the 65th Council of the current administration, matters concerning education, health, labour, and other sectors were discussed and subsequently approved," a statement noted. "The Council has endorsed a 120-day rapid intervention plan that builds upon previous diagnostic activities undertaken by the Ministry and the Education Quality Assurance Agency (EQAA)."
The intervention strategy incorporates a range of actions including payroll audits, school mapping initiatives, and infrastructure evaluations. It outlines targeted, time-bound interventions across key areas such as governance, infrastructure development, digital transformation, teacher professional development, and student welfare.
The council also gave the go-ahead for the establishment of a joint committee tasked with promptly assessing all unauthorized or illegally constructed structures in proximity to schools across Zamfara State, with the aim of relocating them and enhancing the security of school environments. This committee will operate under the leadership of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST).
Furthermore, the Zamfara State Executive Council has approved a unified Education Sector Bill, intended to cover all levels from Early Childhood Care Development Education (ECCDE) to tertiary education. This bill, developed in consultation with various stakeholders including agencies, institutions, civil society organizations, traditional rulers, and development partners, is slated for presentation to the State House of Assembly for enactment within the established emergency timeframe.
Additionally, the governor has approved the reassignment of non-teaching personnel, such as messengers, labourers, gardeners, cooks, guards, drivers, health workers, and artisans, from the Ministry's payroll to their respective appropriate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including the Central Planning Department (CPG), Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Establishment office, or to private sector firms.
The Council also sanctioned the formation of the Zamfara State Steering Committee for the State of Emergency on Education. This committee has been authorized to establish a Technical Working Group (TWG) and to co-opt relevant stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), UNICEF, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), traditional and religious leaders, private school proprietors, and various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
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