The Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr Jamila Dahiru, has commended the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for supporting the state in development of plans to improve the quality of service delivery in the sector.

Dahiru made the commendation in Bauchi on Friday at the opening ceremony of UNICEF/National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)’s collaboration on the validation and dissemination of State Education Strategic Plans (SESP) and State Education Sector Operation Plan (SESOP) in the state.

The Commissioner, who acknowledged that the resolve of UNICEF in advancing the education sector in the state could not be overemphasized, also commended NIEPA for embarking on the exercise, adding it would help in ensuring the appropriate allocation of resources to programme implementation.

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She however, decried the non availability of updated data in the planning of operations stressing that updated data was important in planning education policies.

The Commissioner promised that the government would work with the outcome of the meeting in order to move the education sector forward.

Earlier speaking, Ag Director General/CEO NIEPA Nigerian, Ondo, Dr. A. D. Shofoyeke, said that the formulation of the SESP and SESOP had been described as a testament to the collective vision for an inclusive, equitable, and quality education system in Nigeria.

According to him, these plans were not just documentsc but blueprints for the future of the children, the foundation of the nation’s growth, and the beacon guiding toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.

“Our journey here has been one of collaboration, consultation, and comprehensive planning. We have engaged stakeholders at all levels – from educators and administrators to parents and community leaders.

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“This inclusive approach has ensured that our plans are reflective of the diverse needs and aspirations of our society. It is this inclusiveness that will drive the success of our initiatives.

“The SESP and SESOP are holistic in that they cover all levels of education namely Pre-primary, primary, JSS, nomadic, Adult and Non-Formal education, senior secondary school, among others

“The SESP and SESOP outline strategic priorities that address critical areas such as: Access to education, Quality of teaching and learning as well as Governance and emerging issues.

“These plans are designed to tackle the challenges that have historically hindered our progress while leveraging opportunities to innovate and improve. Our focus is on creating a resilient education system capable of adapting to the dynamic needs of the 21st century,” he said.

The Edo State Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Engr. Ethan Uzamere, has assured that before the expiration of the Governor Godwin Obaseki led administration, roads currently under rehabilitation and construction in the state would be completed to ease the movement of motorists and other residents of the state.

He gave the assurance while speaking with reporters during a routine inspection/monitoring of some road projects in Ovia North East and Ovia South West local government areas of the state.

Making reference to a portion of the road that has been reconstructed/rehabilitated, Ethan said, “as you can see, this road leads to different farms sites and it also leads to a general hospital. There’s also a few religious centres around there. There’s also a very big residential community around these areas. It actually opens up the inner streets of the community.

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“Issues affecting our roads are external factors. Coming now, you see that most of the reasons are because of burrow pits. People are taking sand from the pit and this is actually making our roads to fail. It is very important to know who did these burrow pits miners get their licenses from?

“They get their licenses through the Federal Government and some times, the state government is not even aware. They deal with the community directly. So, it is very important for us as a ministry to let the people of the locality know the effects of the mining activities. It is actually going to affect their community land.

“You are seeing a lot of erosion around the states. It is not just Edo but around Nigeria. One of the major reasons why we have this issue, it is actually man made, but with proper planning and organizations, we can see how we can control some of these issues.”

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Going further, Uzamere stressed: “I am optimistic that most of these roads will be completed before the end of this administration. The projects we are doing are not personal. They are for the people. I know the people that this road is affecting will also cry to the next government that they should continue with the project.”

Roads inspected by Uzamere during the exercise included the Iguobazuwa- Usen-Okoro/Ugbogui Road Project in Ovia South West Local Government Area put at a length of 13.22km. Others are Usen-Okoro Road whose length is 7.1km; Okemola Road which is 1.45km and Ugbogui Road which is 2.5km.

A two-storey building still under construction and housing traders and shop owners collapsed at the Eke Amawbia market in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Thursday.

Although the casualty figure has not been officially ascertained, it was gathered that lives might have been lost in the incident and many are feared trapped under the rubble.

Eyewitnesses said the incident happened at about noon, creating panic among some of the traders and residents in the area.

The eyewitnesses said the two-storey building suddenly crumbled, burying numerous traders beneath the debris.

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As of the time of filing this report, one person had been rescued and rushed to Amawbia Maternity Home for urgent medical attention, but many more are believed to be trapped inside the wreckage.

Some police officers have arrived at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts and maintain order.

Traders who witnessed the collapse blamed the disaster on substandard engineering work, alleging that the building’s structural integrity had been compromised.

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While some others blamed the collapse on the persistent rainfall since last week.

The spokesman for the state police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development when contacted, saying two victims have been rescued and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Meanwhile, rescue operations are currently ongoing, with emergency responders working to search for survivors amidst the rubble.

According to The PUNCH the atmosphere at the market is tense, with onlookers anxiously waiting for news of the rescue of the people feared trapped in the building.

The incident has sent panic to the community, with many calling for an investigation into the cause of the collapse.