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Bauchi One Of Most Educationally Disadvantaged States In Nigeria – Expert

Published

1 day ago

August 22, 2025

Hyeladzira James Mshelia, Assistant Director, Programmes and Community Engagement, Connected Development (CODE) says Bauchi state is one of the most educationally disadvantaged states in Nigeria.

She stated this during a one-day meeting on Roadmap to Equality Tools for Transforming Girls’ Education in Bauchi, organised by CODE and funded by MALALA Funds.

According to her, while the state government has placed education at the top of its budget priorities allocating over N40 billion across sectors, significant challenges still remained visible.

Mshelia, who is also the Girl-Child Education Project Manager of CODE, said some of those challenges included infrastructure gaps where many classrooms are held under trees.

“It also includes high dropout rates for girls driven by poverty, early marriage, cultural norms, and poor learning environments.

“There is also low enrollment and completion: Of over 538,000 school-age children, 12–14 years, nearly half are girls, yet many never enroll or complete school.

“Teacher quality concerns: 25% of teachers are unqualified, and only 31% are women, limiting female role models for girls in schools.

“There are also these gender-blind policies that fail to address the specific barriers faced by girls and other marginalized learners,” she said.

The expert further emphasized that for education to truly deliver on its promise as a pathway to a gender-just world, both girls and boys must benefit equally.

This, she said, was the reason Connected Development with support from Malala Fund, conducted a comprehensive Desk Review of Bauchi State’s education policies and legal documents
to assess their level of Gender-Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP).

She explained that their analysis revealed gender blind and critical gaps that hinder the achievement of gender equality in education across Bauchi State.

“While most policies reference gender, they lack clear, actionable strategies to address systemic inequalities affecting girls’ access to quality education.

“Insufficient Budgetary Commitment – Education budgets do not explicitly earmark funds for gender-responsive interventions, making implementation inconsistent.

“Teacher Recruitment and Training Gaps – Policies lack robust provisions for recruiting more female teachers, particularly in rural areas, and for integrating gender-sensitive pedagogy
into teacher training.

“Weak Monitoring and Accountability Systems – Existing frameworks do not collect or disaggregate education data by gender, disability, or vulnerability status, among others.”

She called on all stakeholders like the government agencies, civil society organizations, community leaders, development partners, and the private sector to adopt, adapt, and champion this plan, saying “together, we can ensure
equity, quality, and justice in education for every child in Bauchi State.

“With deliberate, gender-responsive policies and inclusive planning, we can create a system where every child,
especially every girl, has the opportunity to learn, complete school, and thrive”.

Responding, Dr Muhammed Lawal, the state’s Commissioner for Education, faulted an allegation that education projects are poorly executed in the state, insisting that the allegation was baseless and unfounded.

According to him, the State Government, through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), was ensuring effective monitoring and supervision of every project across the State.

He added that the state government is doing everything possible to take the education sector to greater heights in the state.

News

NAFDAC Raises The Alarm Over Fake Milk In Circulation

Published

7 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control on Friday raised the alarm over the presence of counterfeit Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachet milk circulating in Nigeria.

The alert posted on the agency’s website stated that Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, which is the marketing authorisation jolder and manufacturer of Cowbell “Our Milk” informed the agency about the existence of a product bearing a close resemblance to the genuine Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachet Milk.

“This includes unauthorised use of the brand name, packaging design, NAFDAC registration number, and trademark.

“The MAH has confirmed that these products are neither manufactured or distributed by them as the counterfeit packaging design was last used for production by the company in September 2023,” NAFDAC noted.

Differentiating, it said the genuine cowbell milk is creamy, the packaging material used is the revised PNG artwork “Our Creamy Goodness”, the printing of the batch details is done with laser printing, the coding is done on the coding area on the sachet, and the sealing and cutting on the vertical sides are automated.

It said the content of the counterfeit Cowbell 12g sachet milk does not seem like milk, the packaging material used is the old PNG artwork “Our Milk”, the printing of the batch details was done with ink instead of laser printing, the coding was not done on the coding area but on a different part of the sachet, and the sealing and cutting on the vertical sides were manually done.

It added, “The use or consumption of counterfeit Cowbell ‘Our Milk’ Milk presents serious health and safety risks.

“Such products may contain harmful substances, including toxic chemicals, unapproved additives, or diluted ingredients that do not meet food safety standards.

“Consumption of counterfeit milk can result in foodborne illnesses, allergic reactions, organ damage, or even death in severe cases. Infants, children, pregnant women, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable.”

The agency urged all NAFDAC zonal directors and state coordinators to conduct surveillance and mop up the counterfeit Cowbell 12g sachet Milk products within their zones and states.

“Distributors, retailers, and consumers are advised to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to prevent the distribution, sale, and use of the counterfeit milk product.

“All food products must be obtained from authorised/licensed manufacturers/suppliers. The products’ authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked.

“Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of sale of substandard and counterfeit food products to the nearest NAFDAC office, NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng

“Similarly, healthcare professionals and patients are also encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of counterfeited food products to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng or via e-mail on pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng,” it said.

News

Orphaned Nigerian TikToker ‘Geh Geh’ Goes Viral, Rakes In $30,000 From One Live Session

Published

7 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A young Nigerian known as “Geh Geh” has captured the hearts of thousands online after his TikTok live session on Thursday drew an astonishing 177,000 viewers and reportedly earned him gifts worth over $30,000.

The social media personality, who refers to his online platform as the “University of Wisdom and Understanding,” has been making waves with his unconventional approach to advising men on relationships and finances.

In a video he posted after the live session, Geh Geh said, “More than 177,000 people watch my lectures today.

“Jesus! University of wisdom and understanding, the only university where once you graduate, woman go fear to ask you for money.”

News

Daredevil Boko Haram Leader, Bakura Neutralized In Niger

Published

12 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A notorious leader of the Boko Haram insurgents, Ibrahim Mahamadu, popularly known as Bakura, has been killed in the Lake Chad Basin, the Niger Army said on Thursday.

The Army, in a statement, tagged the terrorist a “feared leader” of the group, stating that he was targeted by a fighter jet early on August 15.

“Very early in the morning of August 15, an Air Force fighter aircraft launched three targeted and successive strikes on the positions Bakura used to occupy in Shilawa,” it added.

The statement also revealed that the Boko Haram leader, who was said to be about 40 years old, was originally from Nigeria.

He reportedly joined the terrorist group more than 13 years ago and took over leadership after Abubakar Shekau.

DAILY POST reports that Shekau, a former leader of Boko Haram, died during jihadist infighting in May 2021