Sokoto to launch education appeal fund

To further consolidate its state of emergency declaration in the education sector, Sokoto state government on Thursday unveiled its intention to launch an educational appeal fund.
The essence it explained, is tailored at effectively providing basic educational needs for the sector.
Disclosing the development to newsmen in Sokoto, the state capital, the state commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Bello Sifawa said the measure was part of the state government’s
commitment to ensure the realization of the objectives of the recent declaration of a state of emergency in the sector.
According to him” This is part of the efforts to ensure that all the various stakeholders make their meaningful contribution towards revamping the hitherto moribund sector”, explaining that it was
further aimed at providing a proper foundation for education, especially at the basic and secondary levels to ensure optimal performance.
Sifawa who spoke shortly after the state weekly executive council meeting also stated that the state government will reach to wealthy individuals, corporate organizations, development partners and donor agencies in this direction.
He said the purposeful decision was to complement the efforts of the state government in providing basic educational needs, adding that doing so, will ensure the provision of quality education to its youths, hence guaranteeing the future of the state and that of Nigeria by extension.
Accordingly, he said ” the era when pupils and students receive lectures on bare floor will soon be a thing of the past.
” This is because concrete plausible measures aimed at providing conducive atmosphere for learning had been taken.
” Already, the state government had allocated nearly 27 per cent of the 2016 budget to the education sector, well above the 26 per cent UNESCO standard,” he added.
In the same vein, the council has also approved the purchase of four generators each with a 500 KVA capacity for the state water board at the cost of N395 million.
Sifawa explained that it was aimed at enhancing the provision of adequate potable water to the residents of sokoto city and its environs” this is in addition to approval for the purchase of two generators for the Usman Faruk and Giginya secretariat complexes at the cost of N 65 million for the smooth running of government activities”, he disclosed further.