The Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has inaugurated the Women Mothers’ Association at Sir Ahmadu Bello Hall, an initiative designed to strengthen children’s education and address school attendance challenges across the state.
Speaking at the ceremony, the wife of the Jigawa State Governor, Hajiya Hadiza Umar Namadi, called on members of the association to sustain their central role in shaping the lives of pupils in primary schools. She described the initiative as a pioneering step that would help safeguard the future of children in Jigawa.
The First Lady praised SUBEB for introducing the association and engaging women as partners in education. She explained that the association would serve as a vital link with SUBEB, ensuring that no child remains at home during school hours, while also complementing government efforts to promote primary school enrolment.
Hajiya Hadiza assured the gathering that the state government would fully support the association, which she described as a model for women’s groups across Jigawa. She also spoke about the challenges facing families, noting that misunderstandings between couples often result in broken homes, a situation that prevents many children from attending school. She appealed to households to pay closer attention to their families, stressing that neglect leads to family breakdown and disrupts children’s education.
Professor Haruna Musa, in his address, underscored the pivotal role of women in society, describing them as the first teachers of any child. He noted that women shape children’s early development, which is why engaging them is crucial to tackling the problem of absenteeism from school. He revealed that SUBEB had already engaged 50 women in Dutse, the state capital, as part of a pilot project to make learning easier and more inclusive.
Professor Musa also commended Governor Malam Umar Namadi Danmodi for implementing the N70,000 minimum wage, pointing out that many teachers now earn above N200,000 monthly depending on their qualifications. He appealed to the newly inaugurated Mothers’ Association to encourage children under their care and to prioritise their education, observing that poverty remains the biggest reason children stay out of school.
He further urged the state government to empower members of the association by employing them as school cooks and incorporating them into state empowerment schemes. He also called on the First Lady to provide additional support to help advance the association’s objectives.
The Director of SUBEB, Alhaji Magaji Idris, disclosed that the state government has already recruited 6,650 women into the association across the 27 local government areas of Jigawa. He explained that these women have been trained to educate mothers at home on the importance of sending their children to school every day.
Idris revealed that plans were underway to formally place the association under the supervision of the First Lady, while expanding its reach to cover more than 3,000 primary schools in the state. He gave assurances that the association would be instrumental in helping government resolve educational challenges, adding that it could also serve as a platform for supporting wider development goals in the future.
