Nigerian government initiative increases school enrolment in Plateau – Official

The Nigerian government initiative on development of school facilities across the country has led to Plateau State witnessing a 3.1 per cent increase in school enrolment, an official has said.

The Chairman of Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, PSUBEB, Mathew Sule, made this known in Jos during an advocacy visit by the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, to the state.

According to Voice of Nigeria online, Mr. Sule said Plateau State was the first to put the Junior Girls Model Schools facilities into use after a recent stakeholders meeting in Lagos.

He said the board highlighted a few challenges after doing periodic inspection of the schools.

The UBEC delegation which was on advocacy and monitoring of projects to Plateau, commended PSUBEB for being the first to put into full use the four Junior Girls Model Secondary Schools constructed by the federal government in the state.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hammid Bobboyi, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the commission, Yakubu Gambo, said the advocacy visit to states was to further encourage state governments to make good use of the girls model schools provided to boost school enrolment.

“At the last quarterly meeting in Lagos, there were clarion calls from stakeholders for other states to emulate the Plateau example, especially in the utilisation of Junior Girls Model Secondary Schools,” he said.

Mr. Bobboyi said the aim of the advocacy visit was to locate areas of challenges where the Nigerian government could intervene to address some of the problems faced in the schools.

The UBEC delegation expressed satisfaction that two out of the four schools in Plateau State were already running full boarding system while the other two are running day school system following certain constraints.