Benue State has launched a N150 million School Grant Scheme aimed at supporting public schools across the state, alongside the distribution of motorcycles to Quality Assurance Officers in all 23 local government areas.
The programme was inaugurated on Monday at the headquarters of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Makurdi as part of efforts to improve school management and strengthen monitoring, especially in rural communities.
Representing Governor Hyacinth Alia at the event, Deputy Governor Sam Ode described education as the most valuable investment any government can make.
He stated that the initiative would boost learning conditions, improve school administration, and enhance effective supervision of schools through the provision of motorcycles to Quality Assurance Officers.
Ode further noted that the intervention aligns with the World Bank-backed HOPE Education Grant, adding that Benue is among states implementing major reforms in the education sector.
Speaking during the ceremony, SUBEB Executive Chairman, Grace Adagba, said the programme was a key intervention by the Alia administration to tackle operational difficulties facing public schools.
She explained that every Headmaster and Principal in the state would receive N50,000 monthly under the scheme to cater for items including stationery, continuous assessment materials, first aid supplies, utility bills, and minor repairs.
According to her, the initiative reflects government’s determination to sustain free and compulsory basic education across Benue State.
Adagba also cautioned school administrators against collecting illegal levies from parents and pupils, warning that any Headmaster or Principal found guilty would be sanctioned.
In their goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Margaret Adamu, and the UBEC State Coordinator, Idzi Baba Emmanuel, praised the Alia administration for giving priority to educational growth and promoting cooperation between the Ministry of Education and SUBEB.
As part of the event, symbolic school grant cheques were presented to RCM Primary School Ihugh in Vandeikya, UBE JSS Walomayo in Makurdi, and St. Francis Primary School in Otukpo, representing the three senatorial districts of the state.
Motorcycles were equally handed over to Coordinating Education Secretaries on behalf of Quality Assurance Officers across Benue State.
