No Northern States have 50% qualified teachers – says former Gov.

January 24, 2025

By Jubril Adekunle

A startling revelation has been made by Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, the former Governor of Niger State, regarding the dire state of education in Northern Nigeria.

According to Aliyu, not a single state in the region has up to 50% of its teachers qualified to teach.

The statement was made at the 22nd Daily Trust Dialogue themed “Food Security: Availability or Affordability” and held at NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.

Aliyu emphasized the critical need for quality teacher education to improve the region’s educational standards.

He noted that the lack of qualified teachers is severely hindering the development of education in Northern Nigeria.

“The second thing I am pursuing is education. In the northern states, there is no state with 50% qualified teachers. Even those who are attending the schools now, let alone those who are not able to attend school,” Aliyu lamented.

To address this issue, Aliyu suggested leveraging federal universities specializing in agriculture and education to provide training for teachers and farmers. He stressed the importance of education in producing passionate and skilled individuals.

This revelation raises concerns about the quality of education in Northern Nigeria and highlights the need for urgent reforms to address the shortage of qualified teachers in the region.