NSSEC boss enjoins Governors to establish commission in states

By Maryam Abeeb

The Executive Secretary, National Senior Secondary Education Commission, Dr. Iyela Ajayi, has called on State Governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to establish a Senior Secondary Education Board in their various States, including the FCT.
He made this call during the Commission’s working visit to the Nigeria Governor’s Forum in Abuja recently, Dr Iyela said that this wouldenable states collaborate with the Commission and harness the NSSEC intervention funds which are meant for the repositioning of Senior Secondary Education.
The Executive Secretary further said that the NSSEC bill, which has been successfully passed into law and gazetted as NSSEC Act 2023 by the past administration, specifies that to qualify for the NSSEC intervention fund, a state must establish the Senior Secondary Education Board (SSEB), and be ready to operate a separate account from that of the State Government. In addition, the state must also provide 5% counterpart funding.
These he said, will help to avoid ambiguity in disbursement of the fund and its implementation in the various states.
“The NSSEC Intervention Fund is to be used for infrastructural development of Senior Secondary Schools and teachers’ Capacity Development across the 36 states and FCT,” Dr Iyela disclosed.
He called on the Director General of NigeriaGovernors’ Forum to use the collaborative platform to reach out to all Governors and encourage them to commence the legislative process of domesticating their SSEB Laws as a matter of urgency. This, he said, will enable the states access the NSSEC Fund.
Responding, Mr. Asishana Okauru, Director General of the Governors’ Forum assured the Commission of his readiness to brief the Governors of the Commission’s offer. He also expressed his commitment to introducing Development partners that will collaborate with the Commission to achieving itsmandate.