Jigawa State Empowers 16,000 Mothers to Boost School Monitoring and Education Quality

Community-Driven Education Reform in Nigeria

In a bold move to enhance educational standards and student well-being, the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has announced an innovative plan to involve 16,000 mothers in school monitoring across the state. This initiative aims to strengthen school safety, increase enrollment, and improve learning outcomes for children.

The program, unveiled by SUBEB Executive Chairman, Professor Haruna Musa, during a training session for 57 gender officers in Dutse, is part of Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s education reform agenda to deepen community participation and ownership in schools.

Mothers at the Heart of School Monitoring

As part of the strategy, five mothers will be selected from each basic school in the state. These women will receive training and mentorship to actively participate in school monitoring efforts, with a focus on:

Ensuring school attendance and preparedness: Mothers will ensure that children attend school with the necessary learning materials.
Reviewing learning progress: They will assess their children's educational progress by examining schoolwork and books brought home.
Promoting school enrollment: Mothers will encourage other families in their communities to enroll their children, addressing the issue of out-of-school children.
Enhancing child safety: Participants will also play a key role in monitoring and reporting any safety or security threats facing school children, including physical abuse.

Professor Musa emphasized, “These mothers will become frontline advocates for education, helping to secure both the safety and academic success of our children.”

Scaling the Initiative Statewide

The initiative is already gaining traction. Over 3,600 mothers from selected pilot local government areas have been trained and deployed. The Board plans to scale the program until mothers’ groups are established in every basic school throughout Jigawa State.

To ensure the success of the initiative, SUBEB is also training Local Education Authority gender officers to support and collaborate effectively with the mothers' groups.

Tackling Learning Poverty Through Community Involvement

Professor Musa highlighted the broader vision of the project: reducing the state’s high number of out-of-school children and addressing learning poverty by empowering women to become active stakeholders in education.

“Engaging mothers in school oversight will lead to improved literacy levels and learning outcomes,” Musa noted. “Their involvement brings a human touch and accountability that institutions alone often struggle to maintain.”

A Call for Public Support

The SUBEB Chairman called on citizens, parents, and community leaders to support Governor Namadi’s drive to transform education in Jigawa. He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality and accessible education for every child in the state.

“Through initiatives like this, we’re building a future where every child can thrive academically and socially. Education is not just the responsibility of the government—it’s a collective mission,” Musa concluded.

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