The Niger Government spent N448 million on scholarship allowances to students in 2017, its Commissioner for Basic Education, Hajiya Fatima Madugu, said on Wednesday in Minna.
Madugu disclosed this while defending the ministry’s budget at the State House of Assembly.
Madugu stated that out of the amount, N317m was expended on 15,811 students studying within the country, while N131m was disbursed for 113 foreign students.
She said that N739m was sunk into conducting internal and external examinations, while 12,911 students benefited from cash transfer programme on which N365m was expended.
The commissioner said that nine schools were renovated in 2017 under the whole school renovation approach, while another nine schools would be renovated in 2018.
She stated that N9.7 million was spent to organise a capacity building workshop for 950 principals and vice principals, while a Teacher’s Professional Development Institute was established at the cost of N200m.
The institute, she said, is mandated to produce qualified and skilled teachers.
She said that the ministry’s budget had N2.840bn for capital expenditure do consolidate on the gains recorded in 2017.
“The focus of the 2018 budget is to consolidate on the gains recorded in 2017 and also to improve access to quality education in the state.
“The sum of N2.840bn earmarked for capital projects will go into the expansion and upgrading of existing infrastructure at the basic and secondary school levels,” she added
In his remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Alhaji Bako Alfa, advised the ministry to always resort to the committee for assistance when faced with difficulties in accessing funds for capital projects.
Alfa, however, cautioned the ministry against expending funds before seeking legislative approval for supplementary budget.
