Jigawa unveils new data on education, agriculture and economic performance

The Jigawa State Government has unveiled new data on education, agriculture, and the state’s economic performance, providing critical insights to guide development priorities, improve public service delivery, and strengthen evidence-based governance.

The data are contained in four major statistical reports unveiled on Tuesday by Governor Umar Namadi during the ceremony at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Dutse.

The reports are the 2024/2025 Annual School Census, Non-Formal Education Census, Agricultural Structure Survey, and Jigawa State Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Survey 2019–2025, as he emphasized the importance of using reliable data to identify gaps, allocate resources efficiently, and measure progress across key sectors.

Speaking at the event, Governor Namadi described the reports as a major turning point in strengthening the state’s statistical system and improving public-sector decision-making.

“Statistics are not abstract figures. They are the backbone of socioeconomic planning, the basis for sound decisions and strategic resource allocation, and the means by which we assess performance and ensure accountability for results,” he said.

The 2024/2025 Annual School Census recorded 1,320,770 pupils in public and private primary schools, with girls accounting for 752,921, representing 57 percent.

The census recorded 999,130 pupils in public primary schools, 214,166 students in public junior secondary schools, and 137,795 in senior secondary schools. It also identified 167,975 children enrolled in one-year pre-primary education.

While 84 percent of public primary school teachers, 83 percent of junior secondary teachers, and 82 percent of senior secondary teachers possessed the required qualifications, pupil-teacher ratios remained high at 96:1, 57:1, and 38:1, respectively.

Governor Namadi said the findings reinforced the need for continued teacher recruitment and improved deployment. He cited ongoing recruitment and regularization initiatives, including the recent presentation of appointment letters to 2,020 teachers, as part of efforts to address staffing gaps.

The first comprehensive Non-Formal Education Census conducted across all 27 local government areas identified 10,197 centers catering for 1,116,289 learners in Islamiyya and Tsangaya schools, adult education and vocational skills programs.

The report also documented the welfare and living conditions of Almajiri learners, revealing that 66 percent depended on community support for daily meals. It identified significant accommodation challenges, with 61.1 per cent of sleeping facilities requiring major repairs and 3.5 per cent considered unusable.

Women accounted for 71.1 percent of adult education learners, while female participation in vocational and skills development programs stood at 1,804 out of 2,462 trainees.

The governor said the findings would guide efforts to strengthen integrated Tsangaya education, improve learners’ welfare, and expand adult literacy and vocational training. He noted that the state had established the Tsangaya Education Board to advance reforms in the sector.

The Agricultural Structure Survey covered 955,410 farming households and examined crop production, livestock, land ownership, irrigation, and access to agricultural support services.

It recorded 943,563 households engaged in crop production and 705,952 involved in livestock activities, while access to essential support services remained limited: only 7.1 per cent of farming households had contact with extension services, 3.9 per cent accessed credit, and 1.9 per cent belonged to cooperatives.

The survey also found that 91.1 percent of households did not keep farm records, while irrigation adoption stood at 15.1 percent. On food security, 25.2 percent of households were fully food secure, while 34.3 percent experienced severe food insecurity.

According to the governor, the findings would inform interventions to expand irrigation, strengthen extension services, improve access to agricultural finance, promote cooperative farming, and accelerate the transition to commercial agriculture.

Likewise, the Jigawa State GDP Survey provides an assessment of the state’s economic performance and structure: the state’s nominal GDP rose from ₦3.62 trillion in 2019 to ₦5.65 trillion in 2023, representing an increase of 35.92 per cent over the period.

Governor Namadi said the findings would support investment promotion, economic diversification, job creation, and long-term development planning.

To translate the reports into measurable outcomes, he directed the Bureau of Statistics to work with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and relevant MDAs to integrate the findings into sector performance reviews, medium-term sector strategies, and the state budget cycle.

The governor also instructed government institutions to involve the Bureau in major data-gathering exercises from design and collection through validation, analysis, and dissemination to avoid duplication, reduce costs, and safeguard the credibility of official statistics.

“These publications must become working instruments for action—not reports kept on shelves. Their value will ultimately be measured by better schools, wider learning opportunities, more productive agriculture, stronger economic growth, and improved public services.”

Governor Namadi reiterated his administration’s commitment to evidence-based governance, effective implementation, and accountability in delivering development outcomes for the people of Jigawa State.