Minna, Niger State – In a bold move aimed at prioritizing human development, the Niger State Government has announced that over 50% of its 2025 budget will be allocated to the education and health sectors. Governor Mohammed Bago disclosed this during the distribution of kitchen utensils to boarding schools and classroom furniture at the Educational Resource Centre in Minna on Wednesday.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, Governor Bago emphasized that the administration is committed to improving the state’s education and healthcare systems. He revealed that N1.8 billion has been earmarked as a matching grant to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), highlighting the government’s resolve to ensure the timely payment of counterpart funds to support various educational projects across the state.
“About half of the 2025 budget will go to the education and health sectors,” Bago said. “N1.8 billion has been set aside as a matching grant for UBEC, and we are committed to expanding access to education, especially for the girl-child, through our partnership with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme. This will include the renovation of 534 schools across the state.”
Governor Bago also underscored the importance of technical and vocational education, noting that N1.512 billion had been designated for the renovation and equipping of technical schools in Suleja, in a bid to foster skilled manpower development.
While outlining his administration’s achievements in education, Bago reiterated his dedication to providing access to quality education from the basic to the tertiary levels. “Education remains a top priority of our government. We are determined to revamp the education sector to ensure that every child in Niger State has access to quality learning opportunities,” he added.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hadiza Mohammed, also praised the government’s initiatives, particularly the direct feeding programme for boarding schools. According to her, the state currently supports 43 boarding schools, including eight integrated Quranic Education Schools, catering to 9,382 students. This number is expected to grow to 12,000 by the 2024/2025 academic session.
The symbolic distribution of kitchen utensils, aimed at supporting the schools’ feeding programme, included items such as 5,000-litre water storage tanks, frying pans, plastic drums, cooking pots, coolers, student plates, and grinding machines, among others.
Mohammed described the distribution as a significant step toward improving learning conditions and lauded stakeholders for their continuous support in enhancing the state’s education system. She urged them to continue their efforts as the government forges ahead with its ambitious agenda.
This allocation of over half the state’s budget to education and health reflects the administration’s strategy to invest heavily in human capital development as a foundation for future growth. With increased funding, access to education for girls and the overall quality of education are expected to improve, along with healthcare services across Niger State.
