From Tongnaan Bawa Jos
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has flagged off the distribution of teaching and learning materials, 19 buses, digital devices and the commencement of a two-day capacity-building workshop under the HOPE-EDU Programme.
The exercise, held on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at the headquarters of the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB), Jos, is aimed at strengthening basic education delivery across the state.
Mutfwang said the intervention was part of his administration’s deliberate efforts to reposition basic education as the foundation for sustainable development and ensure that every Plateau child has access to quality, safe and relevant education.
The governor disclosed that the state had cleared outstanding counterpart funding obligations inherited from 2022 and 2023, making Plateau one of the states currently up to date with its Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) counterpart obligations.
He said the state was preparing to make its 2026 counterpart contribution, adding that this, alongside other interventions, would bring government’s investment in basic education to more than N10 billion.
According to him, the 19 buses would improve school supervision, monitoring and the distribution of educational resources, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
He directed Education Secretaries and Local Government Education Authorities to deploy the buses strictly for educational purposes, maintain them properly and protect them as public assets.
Mutfwang also challenged teachers to improve the quality of instruction, particularly in English Language and Mathematics, stressing that strong foundational learning was critical to children’s understanding of other subjects.
He directed the Commissioner for Education and PSUBEB management to develop a programme aimed at improving teachers’ capacity in English Language delivery, while urging the Nigeria Union of Teachers and other stakeholders to support efforts to raise teaching standards in public schools.
The governor, recalling his experience as a beneficiary of public education, said the government would not sack teachers but would insist on improved standards.
“We are not sacking people, but we will push you to the point that you must raise the bar to a basic minimum standard.”
Mutfwang further disclosed that more than 1,200 classrooms had been renovated across the 17 Local Government Areas in the last three years, noting that infrastructure must be complemented by quality teaching, teacher welfare, adequate learning materials and conducive learning environments.
He also announced a renewed campaign to increase enrolment in public schools and called on traditional and religious leaders, parents, communities and civil society organisations to help eliminate barriers to education.
The governor directed Education Secretaries to treat their positions as field responsibilities, rather than office appointments, and regularly visit schools to ensure that teaching takes place effectively and with the necessary materials.
He added that future recruitment under the HOPE-EDU Programme would give special consideration to rural postings, with improved incentives for teachers serving in underserved communities.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of PSUBEB, Sunday Samuel Amuna, said the intervention included 296,765 core textbooks in Mathematics, English Language, Basic Science and Computer Studies, as well as 19,905 curriculum materials.
He added that 34,590 core textbooks and computers procured under the 2025 Basic Education Advancement Programme, 67,200 teachers’ guides, 30,000 Early Grade Reading textbooks, 15 sewing and knitting machines and 1,000 sanitary pads were also included in the intervention.
Amuna said the materials would strengthen classroom instruction, lesson planning, literacy and numeracy, while the buses would expand the operational reach of education officials.
The Plateau State HOPE Project Coordinator, Aliyu Baba, said the intervention builds on the recruitment and deployment of 1,500 teachers across the 17 LGAs and ongoing improvements in school infrastructure.
He explained that the provision of laptops and tablets to Education Secretaries and EMIS officers, together with the two-day training on the Trace and Track (TnT) Management System, would improve data management, asset tracking, monitoring and accountability in the education sector.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Maren Ishaku Yobo, described the TnT system as an important tool for complementing the ministry’s monitoring and evaluation responsibilities.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Gloria Karuri, reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that government’s investments produce measurable improvements in learning outcomes, teacher support and accountability.
The event featured the flag-off of educational materials, commissioning of the 19 buses, rollout of computers and tablets, and commencement of the capacity-building workshop, with government officials, traditional leaders, education stakeholders and development partners in attendance.