By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
As part of its drive to boost basic education the Jigawa state government has entered into a strategic partnership with NewGlobe, a United Kingdom-based education solution organization.
The partnership was concretised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the “Jigawa Unite” initiative with the aim to transform basic education in the state.
The MoU, which signed at the Conference Hall, Government House, Dutse, on Wednesday, seeks to enhance literacy and numeracy skills across the state by equipping Jigawa’s pupils with the foundational knowledge necessary to thrive in the modern world.
The Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Bala Ibrahim signed on behalf of the state government, while the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Organization, Mr. Jay Kimmerman initialled on behalf of New Globe.
Among the key objectives of JigawaUNITE are enhancing literacy and numeracy outcomes among children; supporting teachers with cutting-edge tools and methodologies; and engaging communities to foster a culture of education.
Speaking at the event, Governor Umar Namadi expressed his administration’s commitment to revamping the education sector as part of his 12-Point agenda.
“The history we are making today is that just by the fact that education is one of our 12-Point agenda items, and within the last fourteen months, we are doing our best to see how we can improve the education system,” he stated.
“The history we are making today is that just by the fact that education is one of our 12-point agenda items, and within the last fourteen months, we are doing our best to see how we can improve the education system in university,” he stated.
“So far, we have achieved so much. At the tertiary level, we organize all our tertiary institutions. We have brought in new management that is vibrant and now have changed the running of the institutions.”
Namadi highlighted recent achievements, recorded in the sector, including the launch of “Jigawa Compete,” a secondary education initiative, and the introduction of technical and vocational education at senior secondary schools.
“At the secondary school level, just a few months back, we have launched what is called ‘Jigawa COMPETE.’ That system is also an initiative that aims to train teachers, train the students, and improve the learning outcome at that level. Just three days back, the executive council also had an engagement and transformation agenda for the introduction of technical and vocational education at the senior secondary school level. That is also a very huge investment that will take a chunk of the state resources.
“But we are sure what we are doing is building the future of our people. So if you have done so much at the level of higher education and the secondary and tertiary levels, What happened to the foundation?”
Addressing the foundational issues in basic education in the state, Namadi shared concerning statistic,
“I was sitting down here as a governor of Jigawa State. But when I went to Rwanda, the information and the data that were presented to me on Jigawa, on the basic education level, are unbelievable. What I saw was that in every eight children in Jigawa state, at the basic education level, primary one, two, three, and six – seven of those children cannot read not only an English word but also our mother tongue, the Hausa, which is very, very pathetic.
“When I came here, I didn’t believe it. I talked to the people at the SUBEB; to also conduct a little research and see what our finding will show, and unfortunately what we find is not far from what I have seen.”
The MoU with NewGlobe, Namadi said, is a deliberate step toward addressing these challenges, adding, “Our engagement today with NewGlobe to revamp basic education is a deliberate attempt to ensure we transform the entire education system. I have confidence and hope that history will judge us right for this significant investment in our children’s future.”
Representing NewGlobe, Kimmelman, praised the governor’s visionary leadership, stating that “Together, with the launch of Jigawa UNITE, we’re going to transform education for every child here in the state, for them to reach their full potential. Education is the foundation of lasting prosperity.
“As a governor, we know you understand this; you’ve shown your leadership in this, that uplifting the cognitive skills of a state is the true path to unlocking its potential.”
The CEO further emphasized that “Jigawa’s future will not be determined by its resources or geography but by the skills, knowledge, and creativity of its people.”
“The initiative’s design considers Jigawa’s unique needs, with customized plans to ensure optimal outcomes. According to the agreement, 50% of the state’s basic schools will implement JigawaUnite, involving over 1,000 schools in the first phase, while the remaining schools will be managed by the state’s education teams to foster a healthy competition and ensure continuous improvement.”
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