Sir Ahmadu Bello foundation laments dearth of education in northern Nigeria

From;Femi Oyelola, kaduna

A research commissioned by Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation has revealed that Education is not getting the priority it deserves, in the North.
The team leader of the research group former Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmad Rufai made the assertion during virtual public presentation of the research work in kaduna yesterday.
According to her teachers recruitment adequacy and incentives, physical infrastructure to support education are lacking, inadequate offices and workstations for headteachers and teachers, security, classrooms, playgrounds, computers laboratory, libraries and information services, laboratories, textbooks, audiovisual facilities, internet connectivity and learning aids are all inadequate.
She added that poverty, inadequate infrastructures, inadequate teachers, out of school children, and early marriages are some of the factors responsible for poor standard of education in Northern Nigeria.
Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmad Rufai however noted that the region is not lacking quality teachers as 70% teachers in the North are qualified with national certificate of education and above, while 52% teachers are NCE holders.
She said the report covers all the 419 local governments in the 19 Northern states and FCT.
The former Minister stated that 30% of the local governments were selected ensuring that they cover all the senatorial zones in all the states, while drawing from conventional and Islamic primary, secondary schools including single and mixed schools both public and private.
“Our key findings are that financial condition of parents to cater for their children education, early marriage, incentive to promote access to education didn’t get to most parents, majority have not benefitted from school feeding, challenge of girl child education is critical to the region, almajirai integration of Qur’anic education into basic education are some of the challenges facing education.
“Education is not getting the priority it deserves, teachers recruitment adequacy and incentives, physical infrastructure to support education are lacking, inadequate offices and workstations for headteachers and teachers, security, classrooms, playgrounds, computers laboratory, libraries and information services, laboratories, textbooks, audiovisual facilities, internet connectivity and learning aids are all inadequate.”