Jigawa State to Engage 16,000 Mothers in School Monitoring for Improved Education Outcomes

the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has unveiled plans to mobilise 16,000 mothers to participate in school monitoring activities across the state. The announcement was made by the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Professor Haruna Musa, during the training of 57 gender officers in Dutse, the state capital, on Thursday.

The initiative is part of Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s broader strategy to reform the education sector by deepening community ownership and promoting parental involvement in the education process. According to Professor Musa, the formation of mothers’ groups in schools is a new innovation under the Namadi administration designed to improve educational outcomes and reduce the number of out-of-school children.

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Harnessing the Power of Mothers to Improve Education

Professor Musa explained that the plan is to assign five mothers to each basic school in Jigawa. These mothers will receive mentorship and support to empower them to take an active role in monitoring schools in their communities.

“These mothers will focus on key areas, including ensuring children attend school with necessary learning materials,” Musa stated. “They will also review their children’s books at home to assess whether learning has taken place.”

In addition to academic monitoring, the mothers will be expected to serve as community advocates for school enrollment, helping to tackle the pervasive issue of out-of-school children—one of the state’s critical challenges in the education sector.

Musa emphasized the dual purpose of the initiative: improving learning and ensuring the safety of schoolchildren.

“Another critical role for the mothers will be to monitor the safety of their children, protecting them from physical molestation or security challenges. These women will be champions in promoting education and safeguarding their children’s well-being,” he added.

Pilot Success and Statewide Scale-Up

So far, the initiative has been successfully piloted in select local government areas, with over 3,600 mothers already trained and actively participating in school monitoring. The SUBEB chairman noted that the success of the pilot project has encouraged the board to scale up the initiative statewide.

The long-term goal is to establish mothers’ monitoring groups in every basic school in Jigawa, building a grassroots network of education advocates embedded within the community.

“The Board plans to scale up the initiative until such groups are formed in every basic school in the state,” Musa said, expressing confidence in the potential impact of the strategy.

Capacity Building Through Gender Officers

The training of 57 Local Education Authority (LEA) gender officers across Jigawa’s 27 local government areas is also a crucial component of the programme’s success. These officers will work directly with the mothers’ groups, providing guidance, coordination, and monitoring to ensure effective implementation of the initiative.

Professor Musa explained that the training aims to build the capacity of the officers to support the newly formed groups and to create a feedback mechanism that allows SUBEB to respond to challenges promptly.

“Women’s participation and community ownership in education will help address the high rate of out-of-school children and learning poverty,” he said.

A Call for Public Support

The SUBEB chairman also called on the general public to support the initiative and the broader efforts of Governor Namadi’s administration to revitalise education in Jigawa. He stressed that inclusive, community-led strategies are essential in ensuring that no child in the state is left behind educationally.

“The government is committed to making quality education available and accessible to every child in Jigawa State through initiatives like the mothers’ groups,” Musa reiterated.

He added that with collective action from government, communities, and parents, Jigawa can improve literacy levels and secure a brighter future for its children.

Building a Brighter Future Through Collective Action

The engagement of mothers in school monitoring marks a transformative step in education management for Jigawa State. Not only does it promote shared responsibility for children’s academic success, but it also empowers women to take a leadership role in safeguarding educational access and quality in their communities.

By leveraging community relationships and maternal instincts, the initiative aims to create a sustainable model for school accountability and student welfare. As the state moves forward with the full-scale implementation of this strategy, education stakeholders across Nigeria will likely be watching closely.