Speaking at the ceremony held at the Government House on Saturday, the Governor charged the members to propose actionable measures to improve basic education performance, address shortages of qualified teachers and fix weak administrative systems. He recalled that his administration declared a state of emergency in the education sector in 2019 due to years of decay and poor planning.
Governor Yahaya highlighted the significant improvement in WAEC performance, rising from 22 per cent to over 70 per cent within six and a half years, which he described as proof of his administration’s commitment to quality education. He reaffirmed his resolve to ensure students continue to excel in both NECO and WAEC examinations.
On reducing the number of out-of-school children, the Governor noted that the state, through the BESDA programme and support from development partners, enrolled more than 450,000 children into various schools. He acknowledged the challenges posed by migration patterns but assured continued government support to keep children in school.
He described members of the taskforce as seasoned administrators and educationists chosen strictly on merit and technical competence. He encouraged them to adopt innovative ideas and co-opt additional expertise when necessary to produce a roadmap that will reposition basic education in Gombe.
The Governor reiterated education, healthcare, security and agriculture as priority sectors of his administration. He disclosed the recent disbursement of over ₦13.5 billion under AGILE to improve girl-child learning environments, ₦1.5 billion in scholarships and more than ₦700 million in incentives to keep girls in school.
Responding, the Chairperson and Commissioner for Education, Professor Aishatu Maigari, assured that the taskforce would produce a revitalization blueprint capable of serving as a model for other states. She noted that Gombe was the first state to pay its UBEC counterpart funding for 2025 and cited recent commendations from the Minister of Education.
The taskforce is chaired by Professor Maigari, with Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Mr. Mataimaki Tom Maiyashi, Engr. Dr. Muhammad Nuru Yakubu and Dr. Sadiq Abubakar Gombe as members. The SUBEB Chairman, Professor Esrom Toro Jokthan, serves as Secretary, while the Permanent Secretary, Special Services and Political, serves as Assistant Secretary.
