States urged to domesticate NSSEC Act for grants access

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) has challenged state governments to domesticate the NSSEC Act so they can stand a chance of accessing financial grants that will be made available soon.

NSSEC Executive Secretary Dr Iyela Ajayi stated this at a recent meeting with members of the Zamfara and Kaduna States Senior Secondary Education Boards (SSEBs) in Abuja.

NSSEC Head of Press and Public Relations, Fatima Bappare, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, indicated that the NSSEC Executive Secretary, Dr Ajayi, noted that access to the grant will help state governments to improve senior secondary education facilities in their states and will also provide the opportunity for students to access quality and affordable education.

He emphasised the need for collaboration between the Commission and State Senior Secondary Education Boards (SSEBs), particularly in monitoring the upgrade of constituency projects in senior secondary schools nationwide. This, he said, is crucial for ensuring the timely completion of these projects by contractors.

He also reiterated NSSEC’s commitment to repositioning senior secondary education in the country, highlighting the ongoing upgrade of 50 senior secondary schools across the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory.

The Executive Chairman of the Zamfara State Senior Secondary Education Board, Hajia Hauwa Kulu, appreciated the leadership, support, and guidance of NSSEC to the activities of the Zamfara State SSEB.

She commended the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal for his commitment to education and establishing the State Senior Secondary Education Board, and also sought NSSEC’s assistance in securing the Governor’s assent to the gazetting of the SSSEB law in Zamfara State.

Similarly, the Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Senior Secondary Education Board, Dr Suwaiba Shehu Ibrahim, stated that the familiarisation visit was to seek and ensure proper collaboration between the state and NSSEC.

She reassured NSSEC of the commitment of the SSEB Kaduna in pursuing the mandate of the Commission.