Gombe gov constitutes committee to reform education sector

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has said structural reforms in the education sector are underway to improve the quality of education in the state.

The governor made the statement while receiving the report of the Taskforce Committee on the Reforms and Revitalisation of Basic and Technical Education in the state, describing it as a critical blueprint for transforming the education sector.

He assured that his administration would immediately begin implementing the committee’s recommendations as part of its commitment to repositioning basic and technical education for greater efficiency, improved learning outcomes, and the development of a skilled, future-ready workforce.

The report was presented by a member of the committee and veteran educationist, Mr Tom Mataimaki Maiyashi, alongside the Commissioner for Education, Associate Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari, who chaired the taskforce.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya said his administration remains committed to strengthening the education sector through bold policy decisions and structural reforms that will ensure sustainable development in line with the state’s 10-year development agenda (DEVAGOM).

“On the report, I want to assure you that we are not going to abandon this document. We shall study it immediately and begin implementation of the recommendations,” the governor said.

He also disclosed that his administration had already begun far-reaching structural reforms in the education sector, citing the merger of the Ministry of Higher Education with the Ministry of Education into a single ministry as one of the first major reform initiatives.

“We will carry out structural adjustments in the education sector. I can even say that we have already started because I have merged the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education into one ministry, which is what is obtainable even at the federal level.

“This will strengthen coordination, improve policy implementation, and enhance service delivery across all levels of education,” he said.

Reflecting on progress made since assuming office in 2019, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said his administration inherited an education sector facing numerous challenges but had, through sustained strategic interventions, recorded significant achievements in infrastructure, teacher development, school enrolment, access to quality education, and institutional reforms.

According to him, “We knew how we met this sector when we came into office in 2019, and we thank God that we have been able to achieve so much. I want to reiterate the pledge I made that we will leave Gombe better than we met it in the education sector.

“That commitment remains unwavering, and we shall continue to invest in reforms that will guarantee quality education for our children and future generations.”

Speaking on behalf of the committee, veteran educationist and former Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Mr Tom Mataimaki Maiyashi, commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his visionary leadership and foresight in establishing the taskforce.

He said the governor’s investments and achievements in the education sector had already laid a solid foundation for sustainable development.

Maiyashi described the committee’s report as an honest reflection of the realities confronting basic and technical education in Gombe State.

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He assured the governor that the recommendations are practical, realistic, and fully implementable, urging him to begin implementing them without delay.

He expressed confidence that faithful implementation of the recommendations would significantly transform the state’s education system and position Gombe as a model for educational excellence.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Associate Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari, who chaired the taskforce, explained that the committee was inaugurated in November 2025 with the mandate to assess the state of basic and technical education in Gombe State, develop actionable strategies, recommend practical reforms capable of restoring the lost glory of the state’s schools, and address all related issues.

According to her, the committee focused on key thematic areas, including teacher-related challenges, infrastructure deficits, governance and administration, student welfare and learning conditions, as well as security and community-related issues affecting schools.

She said the findings formed the basis of the committee’s recommendations, which were organised into eight priority reform clusters requiring immediate government intervention to accelerate improvements in the education sector.

The commissioner thanked Governor Inuwa Yahaya for demonstrating strong political will and commitment to education by constituting a high-powered committee of experienced professionals whose expertise enriched the quality of the report.

The taskforce comprised Associate Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari, Gombe State Commissioner for Education; Dr Nura A. Yakubu, former Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE); Dr Hamid Bobboyi, former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); Mr Tom Mataimaki Maiyashi, education consultant and former Kaduna State Commissioner for Education; Dr Sadiq Gombe, Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB); and the Permanent Secretary, Special Services and Political (SS & POL), Government House, Gombe.