Kankara, Katsina State — In a move aimed at strengthening basic education in rural communities, the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Faruk Lawal Jobe, has facilitated the engagement of 40 casual teachers to support learning in selected primary schools across Kankara Local Government Education Authority (LGEA).
The initiative, which will see a monthly financial support package of ₦1,000,000 dedicated to the programme, is designed to address acute teacher shortages in hard-to-reach and underserved communities across the area.
According to the Education Secretary of Kankara LGEA, Dr. Ibrahim Sani, the intervention covers 20 primary schools, with priority given to rural communities where staffing gaps have significantly affected teaching and learning outcomes. The recruited teachers, all holders of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), will be deployed to complement existing staff in beneficiary schools.
Some of the schools selected for the programme include Kaurawa Primary School, Kabuke Primary School, Bare-Bari Primary School, Nagamda Primary School, and Jeka-Aredab Primary School, among others.
Dr. Sani noted that the Deputy Governor will personally finance the monthly allowances of the teachers, describing the gesture as a strong commitment to improving access to quality education and enhancing academic performance among pupils in rural areas.
Education stakeholders have welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful, with the potential to significantly reduce the burden on overstretched teachers and improve foundational learning outcomes in Kankara LGEA.
However, the development has also attracted policy reflections on sustainability. A public affairs commentator and community advocate, Kabiru el-Hussain, Jakadan Rumah, has advised that the initiative would be better sustained in the long term if anchored on a structured Waqf (Islamic endowment) model.
Kabiru el-Hussain, Jakadan Rumah
According to him, while the intervention is commendable and timely, establishing a Waqf fund—through dedicated income-generating assets such as real estate, investments, or other lawful holdings—would ensure continuity beyond the tenure of the initiator and reduce the risk of donor fatigue.
He further suggested that the Katsina State Zakat and Waqf Board could be engaged to professionally structure and manage such an endowment, ensuring transparency, sustainability, and institutional continuity.
If adopted, the proposal could position the initiative as a pioneering model of Waqf-backed educational support in Katsina State, with long-term benefits for rural education development.
The programme is expected to commence immediately, with deployment already being finalized across the selected schools.
