Date: 2017-11-08

The Kwara State House of Assembly has called on the state government to resuscitate subventions to its tertiary institutions of learning and ensure prompt payment of teachers salaries to enhance quality of education in the state.

The House made the resolution, while considering a Motion titled "Sustaining the Educational Friendly Environment in Kwara State" raised by a member representing Share/Oke-Ode Constituency, Hon Jimoh Akanni Abdul Rahman.

Reading the resolutions of the legislature, the Deputy Speaker, Elder Matthew Okedare, who presided over the Tuesday's sitting, said the need became imperative, to further enhance the wellbeing of the state owned tertiary institutions and teachers of primary and post primary schools, in order to consolidate on the impressive rankings of universities in the state.

The House also urged the state government to increase its allocation to the education sector, in the 2018 budget proposal, to meet the UNESCO's requirement of 26% of budgetary allocations, to improve its achievements in the education sector.

The House commended the state government, for creating enabling environment for schools and universities in the State, to thrive. Hon Abdul Rahman, who is the Chairman House Committee on Education and Human Capital Development, had while raising the motion, disclosed that the recent ranking of universities in Nigeria, by the National University Commission, rated University of Ilorin Fifth, Landmark University Omu-Aran 24th, Abubakar Sola Saraki University Molete 34th, and Al Hikmah University 51th out of 111 ranked universities in Nigeria.

He added that 55% and 64% of Candidates, who sat for West Africa Examination Council, from Kwara state, had 5 credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in 2016 and 2017 respectively and attributed the feat, to the enabling environment created by the state government.

Other members who spoke on the Motion, eulogised the state government, for the feat and urged it, to replicate similar achievements in its Polytechnic and Colleges of Education, to ensure all round development in the education sector.