Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has approved a monthly maintenance allowance of N200,000 for principals of all secondary schools across the state.
The announcement was made during the Sokoto State 2025 Citizens Budget Discussion at the Sultan Abubakar Maccido Institute of Quranic and General Studies.
The initiative aims to empower school principals to make timely repairs and improvements within their facilities, ensuring students have access to a conducive learning environment.
Former Deputy Governor Chiso Abdullahi, who initially appealed for the allowance, highlighted the importance of providing school leaders with resources for immediate maintenance needs, from infrastructure to general repairs.
Abdullahi explained, “The money will assist the school’s principal to repair some little damage notice either on the infrastructure or any other thing without having to wait for long for approval by the government.”
He added that the fund would allow schools to hire local carpenters, bricklayers, and other skilled workers to address maintenance issues as they arise.
On behalf of the governor, Chief Press Secretary Abubakar Bawa confirmed the approval and announced January 2025 as the start date for disbursing the funds.
“Before I call the next speaker, let me inform this gathering that the governor, in his usual manner, asked me to inform the general public that, in line with the appeal made by the former deputy, he has agreed to be giving each school principal the sum of two hundred thousand naira each monthly. The payment will commence in January 2025 and will cover all the secondary schools across the 23 local governments of the state,” Bawa stated.
In addition to education, Governor Aliyu pledged a strong focus on healthcare, with allocations of 25% and 15% of the 2025 budget dedicated to education and health, respectively. The commitment followed appeals from Dr. Aminu Lada, the state team lead for USAID State2State, who advocated for increased support in critical sectors such as health, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
Dr. Lada expressed USAID’s continued partnership with Sokoto State, saying, “USAID State2State will follow on with the Ministry of Budget and Sokoto State House of Assembly to ensure such commitment is fulfilled.”
The governor also addressed the concerns of traditional rulers. In response to a request from Muhammad Jabbi Kilgore, District Head of Kilgori and representative of Sultan Muhammad Saad Abubakar, Governor Aliyu instructed the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Dadi Adare, to review and adjust the allowances for traditional leaders to reflect current economic realities.
Governor Aliyu commended USAID State2State for its collaborative efforts in improving governance and pledged to uphold his administration commitment to the development of key sectors for the benefit of Sokoto’s citizens.
