Benue State Introduces Free Education for Public Pupils

On Friday, during the inaugural Benue Basic Education Summit held at the College of Health Sciences, Moshe Orshio Adasu University in Makurdi, Governor Hyacinth Alia announced the implementation of free education for all public school pupils in Benue State. This initiative is designed to support poor and vulnerable families and to build a strong educational foundation for the state's future leaders.

Governor Alia highlighted several steps already taken in the education sector, including the recruitment of 9,700 teachers, regular payment of salaries, and the implementation of a harmonized retirement age for teachers. He called on parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and stakeholders to support the enforcement of compulsory basic education.

The governor emphasized that the future of the state depends on investing in its children and launched a new initiative tagged "Build Right Access to Compulsory Education" to enroll pupils and create flexible learning pathways.