Gov. plans to enroll 1.2m pupils in primary schools in 9 months

Gov.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tambuwal made the disclosure in Sokoto on Saturday at the maiden edition of Youths Education and Empowerment summit organised by an NGO, "Arewa Transformation Initiatives".

The summit was organised in conjunction with the Office of Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs.

''Our target for the year is about 1.4 million pupils, but we have now targeted 1.2 million to see how far we can go from now to October, this year.

'' It is by then that we can be able to assess whether we have been able to achieve this laudable target.

'' We have taken this bold step because of our displeasure with the enrollment of a paltry 480,000 pupils in primary schools in 2015,'' the governor said through the Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Jabbi Kilgori.

This, the governor explained was with the view to reversing the obnoxious trend in the state where the education sector was lagging behind.

The governor further said that his administration was fully committed to sustaining its huge investments in youths.

''The youths would be provided with quality and quantitative education at all levels and poverty will not hinder the youths from acquiring all forms of education and to any desired levels.

''Education, including Science and Technology will continue to be prioritised, while the empowerment of the youths, women and children will not be toyed with.

'' We will do everything humanly possible to enable the youths realise their full potentials to enable them contribute to the development of the state and the country in general, '' Tambuwal said.

The Special Adviser to Tambuwal on Media and Public Affairs, Imam Imam, said that the state government truly believed in the ability of the youths to make their impact on national development.

Imam said that the youths of the nation must also be availed with the opportunity to make the right educational choices and raise their living standard.

''So, the knowledge the participants will acquire will certainly help them to become the real agents of change and the desirable as well as responsible future leaders of the state and Nigeria at large,'' he said.

The Founder of the NGO, Mr Jibril Shehu, an indigene of the state based in the U.S., said the event was aimed at reawakening the youths on ways to take their lofty ideas and potentials to the next level.

'' A lot of opportunities are now available for the youths and we must commend the dexterity of the state government in bolstering the abilities and the capabilities of the youths,'' he said.