FROM: PAUL ORUDE BAUCHI
The Bauchi State Government has allocated the sum of N31,57 billion to the Education sector of the state in the 2018 proposed budget of N167,957,420 800, which represents 18.8 per cent.
This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary of the State Planning Commission, Yahuza Adamu Haruna, during the breakdown presentation of the 2018 budget on Friday.
The Permanent Secretary said the proposed budget was basically focused on six priority areas of the present administration, which includes Health, Agriculture, Education, Sanitation and Water Supply, Youth and Women Empowerment and Infrastructural Development.
He said that education was another area of critical importance to the state government saying that is why the Government is allocating the sum of N31, 579,696,627 representing 18.80%.
He said that the intervention that will be carried out in the education sector includes renovation and reconstruction of a lot of primary and secondary schools, training and retraining of staff, provisional of equipment and construction of ICT centres among others.
“Because of the intervention in this sector, the numbers of students that passed the national exams rose from 3.37% in 2015 to 17 per cent in 2016 and 27% in 2017,” Haruna said
Giving a further breakdown of 2018 budget, the sum of N25,574,001,643 representing 15.23 per cent was allocated to the Health sector which according to him shows Government commitment to the sector.
He said the planned interventions in the health sector in 2018 includes continue the implementing of the five-health point agenda and establishment of state health care insurance agency.
Others includes provision of 1% of the entire state Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for Basic Health Care Delivery, fulfilling all national and international health partnership agreements as well as implementing of the National Policy guidelines for primary health care under one roof.
The Permanent secretary explained that the budget christened “Budget of Consolidation” is investing massively in Infrastructure revolution as well as human capital development.