The Federal Government has called on state governments to channel their improved financial resources into strengthening the education sector, stressing that increased funding should translate into better access to quality education for every Nigerian child.

The Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, made the appeal while speaking with journalists after inspecting schools in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State during the National Learning Assessment Week.

She said state governments now have greater financial capacity to provide conducive learning environments and address the challenge of out-of-school children, urging them to make education a top priority in their development plans.

According to the minister, the Federal Government remains committed to supporting states in expanding access to quality education.

Prof. Ahmad also disclosed that the Federal Government has concluded plans to reintegrate 5,000 out-of-school children into formal education in Jigawa State as part of efforts to reduce school exclusion and improve access to basic education.

She explained that the National Learning Assessment was introduced to establish a unified national framework for evaluating students’ academic performance at key stages of learning, replacing the previous system in which the Federal and state governments conducted separate assessments.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the arrangements put in place by the Jigawa State Government and commended the conduct of the ongoing end-of-term examinations in the schools she visited.

She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating a conducive learning environment and urged state governments to intensify efforts to reintegrate out-of-school children into formal education.

Prof. Ahmad added that stronger collaboration between the Federal and state governments is essential to achieving inclusive and equitable education for all Nigerian children.