The National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), in collaboration with the Fati Lami Abubakar Institute for Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS), has initiated a training program aimed at equipping teachers of Islamiyya schools (Tsangaya School System) with basic western education skills.
Sheikh Hussaini Abubakar Shakwata, Chairman of the Niger State Huffazul Qur’an and Islamic Scholars, announced this initiative during an interview with journalists in Minna on Tuesday. He revealed that the board had previously engaged with leaders from all 19 northern states to discuss the program, which many had doubted would materialize due to unfulfilled promises from other organizations in the past.
Sheikh Shakwata praised the program as a long-awaited development, expressing optimism that it would be effectively utilized. He reported that over 70 members have already registered, with more showing interest.
The training, conducted by qualified instructors from FLAILAS, aims to help participants integrate more effectively into society. Sheikh Shakwata noted that while their members possess extensive knowledge of the Qur’an and can impart it to the younger generation, they often lack formal certification.
He encouraged members to pursue further education beyond the certificate course, aiming for degrees that would place them on par with teachers in formal education settings. Additionally, he called on state and local governments to sponsor members willing to acquire western education, enhancing their ability to serve their communities and educate the youth under their care.
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Niger State Commissioner for Communication Technology and Digital Economy, Suleiman Isah, has announced that advancements in the automation of revenue generation systems are expected to yield an impressive internal revenue generation (IGR) figure of approximately N5 billion monthly.
This announcement followed a budget screening conducted by the Standing House Committee on Information and Digital Economy at the Niger State House of Assembly, involving both the Ministry of Communication Technology and Digital Economy and the Ministry of Information and Strategy.
During the session, Isah highlighted the transformative efforts aimed at creating a conducive environment for sustained revenue growth with minimal government interference. He explained that automating revenue generation processes is a key initiative currently underway to streamline operations.
As a result of these efforts, the IGR has seen significant progress, rising from around N1 billion per month to an impressive N3.5 billion. Isah expressed optimism about future projections, stating that ongoing automation efforts should enable the state to achieve no less than N5 billion in revenue generation.
“Part of what we did was to automate the process of revenue generation, which we are still doing, and that has seen most of the IGR move roughly from a billion Naira per month to about N3.5 billion. From the automation, we should expect Niger to generate nothing less than N5 billion,” he said.
This ambitious target is part of a broader strategy to centralise revenue collection for various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) by unifying them onto a single digital platform. Plans are also underway to incorporate local government revenue generation into this platform to minimise revenue leakages.
Additionally, the commissioner revealed that initiatives are being developed to create specialised platforms for MDAs to enhance their revenue capabilities. Similar systems have been successfully implemented for private schools, and efforts are currently focused on deploying such platforms in hospitals across the state.
During the budget screening exercise, Jibrin Ndagi Baba, Chairman of the Standing House Committee on Information and Digital Economy and representative for Lavun Constituency, emphasised the necessity for the Ministry of Information and its agencies to adopt a revenue-driven approach to foster innovation. He urged the ministries to work collaboratively to maximise their potential and capitalise on each other’s strengths.
Ndagi Baba stressed that if the Ministry of Information adopts a more proactive stance, it will not only generate substantial revenue but also become self-reliant, reducing its dependence on state government funding. His call to action underlined the importance of innovation and collaboration as critical elements in enhancing the financial sustainability and effectiveness of the ministries involved.
