Niger Gov’t loses over 6,000 teachers from 2015 to date

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

The Niger State government has lost over six thousand (6,000) teachers through death and retirement from 2015 to date under State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), the agency has said.
The acting Chairman of Niger State UBEC, Alhaji Abdullahi Nasir Ndafogi made the disclosure yesterday in Minna while interacting with the state Media Strategy and Communication committee in his office.
Ndafogi hinted that interview is ongoing in some local governments currently to ensure that the vaccum created as a result hence the inadequate manpower was covered as procedures were followed before sitting schools in a community.
He pointed out that the state 2015 UBE action planned intervention expended N1.753 billion for infrastructural development which includes 50% construction works at N876,756,756.76, 40% renovation works to the sum of N701,405,405.41 while furniture has 8% at N140,281,081.08 and 2% monitoring fund of N35,070,270.27 with total sum of N1,753,513,513.52.
He further stated that on the areas of infrastructural development intervention it includes construction of various blocks of classrooms, purchase of assorted ECCED classrooms materials for 17 schools, furniture for numerous numbers of schools in the state.
He said basic education was crucial to the development of education in the country and the state Governor has the political will to ensure standardization of education for maximum output.
The acting Chairman emphasized the need to work on the teachers quality through training and retraining, provision of enabling environment, welfare, modeling and monitoring for effective and efficient performance hence to ameliorate the falling standard of education.