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| Honourable Mahmud Lawal, Chairman House Committee on Education (Center) |
By Zakari Haruna Isah
The Chairman, Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Mahmoud Lawal, says education remains a priority of the Kaduna State Government, with the sector receiving 25 per cent of the state’s 2026 budget.
Lawal stated this on Wednesday at the 68th Annual National Congress of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) in Kaduna, where he said the allocation was the highest to any sector and reflected the government’s commitment to improving education.
He said the state had also taken steps to strengthen secondary education through the establishment of the Kaduna State Senior Secondary Education Board and the domestication of the new 9-3-4 education structure.
The lawmaker added that the government had improved the welfare of school principals and recognised their important role in managing schools and driving improved learning outcomes. He commended Kaduna principals for their leadership and described them as among the best in the country.
The National President of ANCOPSS, Robert Okorie, called for increased government funding for the professional development of principals, school infrastructure and teachers’ welfare to strengthen educational outcomes across the country.
Okorie said investing in the capacity of school principals was essential to equip them to manage the increasingly complex demands of secondary education, particularly as technology continues to reshape teaching, learning and assessment.
He urged state governments to increase the number of principals sponsored to attend international education conferences, including the 2026 International Confederation of Principals Conference scheduled to hold in Auckland, New Zealand.
According to him, exposure to international best practices would enhance the professional competence of principals and improve educational leadership at the school level.
Okorie said ANCOPSS had sustained its commitment to professional development through Mandatory Continuing Professional Training workshops organised annually across the six geopolitical zones.
He also called for the provision of modern information and communication technology facilities in schools to prepare students and teachers for the growing use of computer-based examinations.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Yusuf Ibn-Tom, commended principals for their leadership, teamwork and commitment to the development of secondary education.
Ibn-Tom also praised the longstanding relationship between ANCOPSS and the NUT, saying the partnership had strengthened professional identity, unity and advocacy for the welfare of educators.
He said the congress theme was timely, noting that technology was fundamentally changing how knowledge was accessed, delivered and managed.
According to him, artificial intelligence, digital learning platforms, electronic assessment systems and data analytics were increasingly influencing education.
He, however, cautioned that technology should complement rather than replace teachers and the human element of education.
Ibn-Tom urged ANCOPSS and other stakeholders to move beyond resolutions by developing practical and sustainable strategies for digital transformation.
He said the NUT was ready to collaborate with ANCOPSS, governments and development partners to build an education system that was quality-driven, equitable, inclusive, teacher-centred and learner-focused.