By Musa Ubandawaki, SOKOTO

Chairman, Sokoto State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Umar Nagwari Tambuwal has called on the Sokoto State Government to reconsider its funding strategy, suggesting a reduction in funding  of higher education institutions and redirect such funds to strengthening basic education in the state.

He said investing much in basic education is a practice embraced by many developed countries, including those in Europe, and the United States, to achieve improved academic outcomes. 

A solid foundation in this stage of education, he believes, enables students to gain admission to top universities worldwide without external assistance.

He noted that basic education is the bedrock of all future academic and professional pursuits. 

Nagwari called for an educational transformation, particularly in adopting modern teaching methods and integrating technology, to remain competitive with global standards.

“As part of its efforts to enhance education, the board has introduced a new teaching method, using the mother tongue to teach pupils in primary grades one to three. 

“This initiative helps students better understand sounds, read, identify numbers, and construct sentences. This method has been implemented in collaboration with Plan International, and early results indicate notable improvements in reading abilities and knowledge retention among pupils.”

However, Nagwari acknowledged that the success of such teaching methods requires ongoing training and retraining. 

Currently, the board employs 27,000 teachers, with 8,000 having undergone specialised training through the Board’s Education and Capacity programme (BEC). 

Despite this, Sokoto faces a significant challenge with an average of 41 children per teacher, far exceeding the international standard of 21 pupils per teacher.