From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

Kebbi State government says the education policies adopted by the Governor Abubakar Bagudu administration, which gave birth to the law establishing Ministry of Higher Education, has resulted in improvements in tertiary institutions in the state, with 100 per cent accreditation of courses of the Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero (KSUSTA).

Gov. Bagudu, who stated this during a three- day workshop organised by the Ministry of Higher Education in Birnin Kebbi, declared that all courses of Adamu Augie College of Argungu, College of Nursing Science and Midwifery have been accredited due to progressives government’s policies on education.

 The theme of workshop was “Leadership and Management, Repositioning of Tertiary Institutions in Kebbi State for a Better and Sustainable Development.”

In his speech, Bagudu, said: “Kebbi State government, under the current dispensation, realized the fact that the current dynamics of the global economy and the competition for the control of the same among the nation states is being driven by knowledge has triggered the creative and innovative move by the government to establish the ministry for higher education. 

“The establishment was through the enactment of the law for its creation which came to tuition in June 2016. Afterwards, the government keeps on evolving series of policies and laws often with huge financial commitment to ensure attainment of the government mission and vision on the generality of tertiary education in the state.”

 Bagudu added that “this is with a view to provide ample opportunity to capable youth and other citizens of Kebbi to acquire qualitative higher education for the benefits of its citizens and the larger Nigerians in order to perform its functions as specified in the law establishing all tertiary institutions, which were hitherto scattered and domiciled in different ministries are now under the jurisdiction of Kebbi State Ministry for Higher Education.”

  The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Umar Babale Yauri said the education policy, has changed the course of the state’s tertiary education towards a better, qualitative an realistic service.

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 “The appointment of capable hands to man the ministry and tertiary institutions is also significant to our quest in transformation of the generality of higher education services in the state to the global standard,” he said.

 He disclosed that the state government got Kebbi State Polytechnic, Dakingari as beneficiaries of the TETFUND, stressing that approval has been granted to College of Nursing Sciences to run Diploma and HND programmes on diverse area of health discipline by NBTE.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Hajiya Halima Dikko, said that the training was designed to enhance participants’ competence in their respective schedules as well as enable each to put on strategies and skills leading efficiency and improved performance. 

“At the end of the workshop, it is hoped that you will be equipped with relevant on the job skills to be able to perform optimally for effective administration and financial management,” she said.

Dikko revealed that the ministry had in the past four years of Bagudu’s administration succeeded in restructuring, repositioning and upgrading of all tertiary institutions of the state to global standard.

Also speaking, the Pro- Chancellor, Chairman of Governing Council of KSUSTA, Senator Muhammad Magoro, observed that the pursuit of excellence and stability in the tertiary institutions was best achieved through adherence to the rule of law, due process, increased funding and the freedom to operate on the basis of expertise in scholarship. 

“The North is being regarded as backward unable to comprehend Western education which we seem to have accepted. We have accepted this view because we have endorsed that the cut- off marks for the North should be lower than that of the South. To me, we should identify the challenges and address the causes. 

“ Are we saying we cannot learn? Take a look at the Sangaya schools, where pupils memorise the Holy Quran. If given better environment they can compete and beat students from other parts of the country,” Magoro opined.