Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has said the funding of basic education be removed from local governments to the Federal Government.
He spoke yesterday while featuring on a radio programme, Governor Explains.
According to Ahmed, the funding and payment of basic level teachers by councils hinder the growth of education at the foundation level.
“The standard of education at the primary level is low. This is a serious concern to governments at state and federal levels. It is high time we separated local government funding from State Universal Basic Education,” he said.
The governor, who assured the people of his administration’s support for education, especially SUBEB teachers, promised to pay counterpart funding to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) from the next tranche of Paris loan refund, to enable the government access funds for repair of schools.
He said: “Our government will spare no effort in providing infrastructure in schools, to guarantee conducive learning.”
Ahmed said his administration has secured a non-government organisation (NGO) status for International Vocational, Technical and Entrepreneurship College, Ajase-Ipo, to make the institution attractive to international organisations and ensure sustainability.
He said the decision to change the status of the institution was to guarantee its capacity to drive recurrent expenditure on self-sustainable basis.