By Zainab Bakare
The Plateau State Government says it will invest more than N10 billion in basic education as part of efforts to improve learning outcomes and reposition the sector for sustainable development.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang disclosed this on Wednesday in Jos during the flag-off of the distribution of teaching and learning materials, 19 buses and digital devices under the HOPE-EDU Programme.
The programme was launched at the headquarters of the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board, PSUBEB.
Mutfwang said Plateau had cleared its outstanding counterpart funding obligations to the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, inherited from 2022 and 2023.
He said the development had enabled the state to access critical interventions in the education sector.
“The state was also preparing to make its 2026 counterpart contribution, which, alongside other interventions, would translate into an investment of more than N10 billion in basic education,” Mutfwang said.
The governor described the intervention as a deliberate effort to ensure that every child in Plateau State has access to relevant, safe and quality basic education.
He said the 19 buses would improve school supervision, monitoring and the distribution of educational resources, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Mutfwang directed Education Secretaries and Local Government Education Authorities to ensure the vehicles were used strictly for their intended purposes and properly maintained.
He also challenged teachers to improve the quality of instruction, particularly in English Language and Mathematics.
“Strong foundational learning is essential to the academic development of children,” he said.
The governor directed the Commissioner for Education and PSUBEB management to develop a programme to improve teachers’ capacity in English Language delivery.
“We are not sacking people, but we will push you to the point that you must raise the bar to a basic minimum standard,” he said.
Mutfwang further disclosed that more than 1,200 classrooms had been renovated across the state’s 17 local government areas in the past three years.
He said the infrastructure improvements must be matched with quality teaching and better teacher welfare.
The governor also announced a renewed campaign to increase enrolment in public schools and directed Education Secretaries to treat their positions as field responsibilities rather than office appointments.
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.
Mutfwang insisted that every resource provided under the intervention must translate into measurable improvements in learning outcomes
What the education intervention includes
The Executive Chairman of PSUBEB, Sunday Samuel Amuna, said the intervention includes:
* 296,765 core textbooks in Mathematics, English Language, Basic Science and Computer Studies.
* 19,905 curriculum materials.
* 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.
* 1,000 sanitary pads for distribution to schools.
* 19 buses to strengthen supervision and monitoring.
Amuna said the materials were designed to improve classroom instruction, lesson planning, literacy and numeracy.
The Plateau State HOPE Project Coordinator, Aliyu Baba, said the intervention builds on the recruitment of 1,500 teachers and improvements in school infrastructure.
