The Plateau State basic education investment will exceed N10 billion as the government works to improve teaching quality and expand access to education.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang disclosed this on Wednesday in Jos. He spoke during the flag-off of educational materials, 19 buses and digital devices. The event also featured a capacity-building workshop under the HOPE-EDU Programme at the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board headquarters.
Mutfwang said Plateau State had met its financial obligations to the Universal Basic Education Commission. He said the state cleared counterpart payment arrears inherited from 2022 and 2023.
The governor said the Plateau State basic education investment would rise above N10 billion after the state makes its 2026 counterpart contribution. He added that other planned interventions would further increase the total investment.
Mutfwang said the intervention was more than a ceremonial exercise. He said it was part of his administration’s effort to provide every Plateau child with safe and quality basic education.
He said the 19 buses would improve school supervision and monitoring. They would also support the distribution of educational resources to rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The governor directed education secretaries and Local Government Education Authorities to use the buses only for their intended purposes. He also urged them to maintain and protect the vehicles as public assets.
Mutfwang challenged teachers to improve classroom instruction. He placed particular emphasis on English Language and Mathematics.
He stressed the need for strong foundational learning. He directed the Commissioner for Education and PSUBEB management to develop a programme to improve teachers’ capacity to teach English Language.
The governor said the government had no plans to sack workers. However, he warned that workers would be required to meet the minimum standards.
Mutfwang disclosed that more than 1,200 classrooms had been rehabilitated across the state’s 17 local government areas in three years. He said infrastructure improvements must be matched with quality teaching and better teacher welfare.
He also announced renewed efforts to increase enrolment in public schools. He urged education secretaries to see their positions as field responsibilities rather than office appointments.
According to Mutfwang, future HOPE-EDU recruitment would prioritise rural postings. He added that teachers in underserved communities would receive better incentives.
Mutfwang stressed that every resource provided under the intervention must produce measurable learning improvements.He called on teachers, parents, traditional rulers, lawmakers, communities and development partners to support the government. He said collaboration was vital to building a stronger public education system.
The Executive Chairman of PSUBEB, Sunday Amuna, said the intervention included 296,765 core textbooks. The books cover Mathematics, English Language, Basic Science and Computer Studies.
He added that 19,905 curriculum materials were also provided. Another 34,590 core textbooks and computers were procured under the 2025 Basic Education Advancement Programme.
Amuna said the package also included 67,200 teachers’ guides and 30,000 Early Grade Reading textbooks. It further contained 15 sewing and knitting machines and 1,000 sanitary pads for schools.
He said the materials would support classroom instruction, lesson planning, literacy and numeracy. The buses would also expand the operational reach of education officials.
The Plateau State HOPE Project Coordinator, Aliyu Baba, said the intervention builds on the recruitment of 1,500 teachers. It also follows improvements in school infrastructure.
He said laptops and tablets given to education secretaries and EMIS officers would improve data management. Training on the Trace and Track Management System would strengthen asset tracking, monitoring and accountability.
The Commissioner for Education, Gloria Karuri, pledged that the ministry would ensure the investments deliver tangible results. She said the focus would remain on learning outcomes, teacher support and accountability.
Government officials, traditional rulers, education stakeholders and development partners attended the event.
