Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has approved the employment of an additional 2,000 teachers for schools in the state.
The governor revealed this on Thursday during a meeting of the Executive Council at the Government House, Gusau, the state capital.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, explained that the planned recruitment of teachers is in fulfilment of some of the pledges made during the governorship campaigns.
The statement noted that education, being second on the government’s priority list of projects, has received significant attention and is already yielding desired results under the administration.
In his remarks at the council meeting, Lawal said, “The government will employ 2,000 qualified teachers to help improve and revitalize the education sector.
“The teachers are to be employed in phases to ensure that the right people of quality are employed to address critical areas of need in our schools.
“The recruitment is part of the AGILE programme and aims to completely reverse the rot in the education sector and improve the quality of teaching and students in our schools throughout the state.
“We are starting with the employment of 500 teachers in the first quarter of this year. In the first instance, emphasis should be placed on teachers in critical subjects like English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, ICT and Entrepreneurship studies.
“As part of the government’s commitment towards revamping education in Zamfara State, Lawal had, on November 14, 2023, declared a state of emergency in the education sector.
The governor said the emergency response by his government includes the construction and renovation of more than 400 schools across the 14 Local Government Areas.
“Provision of two-seater desks for pupils and students, with a total of over 12, 000 across schools in the 14 Local Government Areas and equipping the constructed and renovated over 400 schools with over 700 tables and 1,000 chairs for teachers”, he added.