By Idris Salisu, Gusau
The Zamfara State Government has recovered over N23 million in taxes and levies from private schools following a regulatory compliance exercise carried out by the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The recovery was disclosed on Tuesday when the committee established to enforce minimum standards and regulatory compliance in private schools submitted its report to the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Malam Abdulmalik Garba Gajam.
Presenting the report at the ministry’s conference room, the committee chairperson, Hajiya Hauwa Kulu Na’ala, said 242 of the 508 private schools captured for the exercise had been screened.
She said the committee’s mandate was to ensure that private schools complied with minimum requirements for safety, legality and quality standards.
According to her, only 123 of the 242 schools assessed were rated good, while 119 were rated either fair or poor in terms of operational standards.
Na’ala identified the absence of dedicated state legislation regulating private schools as one of the challenges affecting enforcement, saying approval, sanctions and other regulatory measures remained constrained without a specific legal framework.
She also noted that some schools had approval certificates without clearly defined operational scopes, making enforcement difficult.
The committee further identified unapproved learning and lesson centres operating outside the formal education system, warning that such centres could contribute to early school withdrawal, inappropriate relationships and revenue leakage.
Na’ala said the committee assessed 242 private schools during the review period and enforced the payment of more than N23 million in tax liabilities into the account of the Zamfara State Internal Revenue Service.
She added that proprietors were trained on generating tax invoices and using electronic payment channels to reduce revenue leakages.
Other achievements, she said, included the deployment of a standardised digital assessment instrument, grading of schools and provision of recommendations on their operational levels.
The committee also established a comprehensive database of private schools to facilitate future monitoring and enforcement, while raising awareness on minimum standards, child protection, quality assurance and proper documentation.
Receiving the report, Gajam assured the committee that its recommendations would be carefully considered and implemented where necessary.
He commended the members for their work, saying the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal was determined to improve the standard of education across all levels in the state.
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