Clement Nnachi 
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has tasked delegates of the Joint Consultative Committee on Education (JCCE) meeting to develop strategic policies and blueprints aimed at addressing the multifaceted challenges in Nigeria’s education sector.
Nwifuru, represented by his deputy, Patricia Obila, gave the charge on Thursday while declaring open a two-day reference committee meeting held at Meritona Hotel in Abakaliki, the state capital.
The theme of the event was “Quality Education Data and Professionalization of Teaching: Tools for Enhanced National Development.”
The meeting is expected to deliberate on memoranda submitted on the new education policy and agree on implementable strategies.
These will later be forwarded to the National Committee on Education for review and possible recommendation to the National Council on Education, which includes State Commissioners for Education and the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa.
Nwifuru emphasized that the State government’s substantial investment in the education sector reaffirms its commitment to providing quality education in Ebonyi.
He restated that education remains a tool for social reconstruction and development, urging the delegates to use the opportunity to address pressing challenges in the sector.
“Education remains a top priority of my administration. I urge JCCE delegates to leverage this opportunity to advance educational outcomes,” he said.
The Governor noted the State’s progress in education, including awarding over 1,000 postgraduate scholarships to the people of Ebonyi for studies in both local and international institutions.
In her remarks, the JCCE Chairperson and Director of Planning and Research at the Federal Ministry of Education, Obianuju Anigbogu, described the delegates as the bedrock of education policy formulation.
She explained that the meeting’s purpose was to deliberate on memoranda and generate recommendations for the National Council on Education’s plenary session, scheduled to be held later in 2025 in Ondo State.
Anigbogu commended the Ebonyi State Government for its educational initiatives and support in hosting the meeting.
She encouraged State governments across the country to adopt and implement new national education policies that ensure access to functional and qualitative education.
Earlier in their addresses, the State Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Paul Awo Nwobasi, and the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Amari Omaka, expressed optimism that the outcome of the meeting would foster practical strategies for skills-based learning, capable of making graduates self-reliant.
They disclosed that the construction of 39 special Schools is ongoing across the 13 local government areas of the State, in addition to the postgraduate scholarship scheme.
Also speaking, a delegate and Executive Director of the National Mathematical Center, Benjamin Oyelami, and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Information and Communication Technology, Oferekpe, Ernest Egba, praised the platform for facilitating the exchange of ideas on tackling educational challenges.
The 2025 JCCE reference committee meeting featured top education stakeholders, including directors of research and development from both Federal and State governments.
Dignitaries in attendance included the Vice-Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Jesse Uneke; the State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mary Ngozi Otozi; and delegates from the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.
