Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris has overseen major interventions in the state’s education sector, with initiatives covering school infrastructure, teacher workforce expansion and inclusive access to learning, government officials said.

Since assuming office, Idris’s administration has focused on addressing longstanding challenges in education within Kebbi State, including inadequate facilities, shortages of qualified teachers and barriers to school attendance in rural areas.

A central feature of the government’s education reforms has been the extension of the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65 years and the increase of eligible service years from 35 to 40.

The policy enables experienced educators to continue teaching longer, maintaining institutional expertise in classrooms.

The state government also approved the recruitment of thousands of new teachers. The increased manpower has improved teacher-student ratios and aimed to ensure schools in underserved and rural communities have adequate staffing.

Idris’s administration has made substantial investments in educational infrastructure. Billions of naira have been committed to renovating, rehabilitating and constructing school facilities across Kebbi State, officials said.

Over 120 secondary schools have been extensively upgraded, while four mega secondary schools were constructed, one in each emirate council, to serve as modern academic hubs.

These facilities include improved classrooms, laboratories, libraries and information and communication technology centres.

Tertiary institutions have also benefited from the reforms. Hostels, lecture halls, laboratories and administrative buildings have been upgraded to enhance learning conditions, reduce overcrowding, and improve overall academic environments, according to state officials.

A defining policy change under Governor Idris is the expansion of free and inclusive education. Kebbi State now offers free education from primary through tertiary levels.

Government sources said this policy has reduced the financial burden on parents and guardians, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, and has contributed to rising school enrolment across the state.