Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, yesterday received the report of the Taskforce Committee on the Reforms and Revitalisation of Basic and Technical Education in the state, describing it as a critical blueprint for transforming the education sector.
The governor assured that his administration would immediately commence the implementation of the committee’s recommendations as part of its commitment to repositioning basic and technical education for greater efficiency, improved learning outcomes and the development of a skilled, future-ready workforce.
He stated this while receiving the report presented by a member of the committee and foremost educationist, Mr. Mataimaki Tom Maiyashi, alongside the Commissioner of Education, Associate Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari who chaired the Taskforce.
Governor Yahaya stated that his administration remains resolute in its commitment to strengthening the education sector through bold policy decisions and structural reforms that will ensure sustainable development in line with the state’s 10-year development agenda (DEVAGOM).
“On the report, I want to assure you that we are not going to abandon this document. We shall study it immediately and begin implementation of the recommendations,” the governor said.
He disclosed that his administration has already commenced far-reaching structural adjustments in the education sector, citing the recent merger of the Ministry of Higher Education with the Ministry of Education into a single ministry as one of the first major reform initiatives.
“We will do structural adjustments in the education sector. I can even say that we have started because I have now merged the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education to become one ministry, which is what is obtainable even at the federal level. This will strengthen coordination, improve policy implementation and enhance service delivery across all levels of education,” he stated.
Reflecting on the progress recorded since assuming office in 2019, Yahaya noted that his administration inherited an education sector confronted by numerous challenges but has, through sustained strategic interventions, recorded remarkable achievements in infrastructure, teacher development, school enrolment, access to quality education and institutional reforms.
“We knew how we met this sector when we came into office in 2019, and we thank God that we have been able to achieve so much. I want to reiterate the pledge I made that we will leave Gombe better than we met it in the education sector. That commitment remains unwavering, and we shall continue to invest in reforms that will guarantee quality education for our children and future generations,” the governor stated.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, foremost educationist and former Commissioner for Education in Kaduna State, Mr. Maiyashi, commended Governor Yahaya for his visionary leadership and foresight in establishing the taskforce.
He observed that the governor’s investments and numerous achievements in the education sector have already laid a strong foundation for sustainable development.
He described the committee’s report as an honest reflection of the realities confronting basic and technical education in Gombe State.
Maiyashi assured the governor that the recommendations are practical, realistic and fully implementable, urging him to earnestly begin the implementation of what the document recommends.
He expressed confidence that the faithful implementation of the recommendations would significantly transform the state’s education system and position Gombe as a model for educational excellence.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Maigari, who chaired the Taskforce, explained that the committee was inaugurated in November 2025 with the mandate to critically assess the state of basic and technical education in Gombe State, develop actionable strategies, recommend practical reforms capable of restoring the lost glory of the state’s schools, and address all issues incidental to its assignment.
According to her, the committee’s work focused on key thematic areas including teacher-related challenges, infrastructure deficits, governance and administration, student welfare and learning conditions, as well as security and community-related issues affecting schools.
She explained that the findings from these assessments formed the basis of the committee’s recommendations, which were carefully packaged into eight priority reform clusters requiring immediate government intervention to accelerate improvements in the education sector.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to Governor Inuwa Yahaya for demonstrating exceptional political will and commitment to education by constituting a high-powered committee of renowned professionals whose wealth of experience enriched the quality of the report.
The Taskforce Committee comprised eminent education experts and policymakers, including Prof. Maigari, the Gombe State Commissioner for Education; Dr. Yakubu, former Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE); Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); Mr. Maiyashi, education consultant and former Commissioner for Education in Kaduna State; Dr. Sadiq Gombe, and also the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB); and the Permanent Secretary, Special Services and Political (SS & POL), Government House, Gombe.