The Bauchi State Government has commenced in-state production of exercise books and chalks to support schools and reduce reliance on external suppliers.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr Muhammed Rimin-Zayam, made this known on Friday during an inspection visit to the Education Resource Centre in Bauchi.
He said the initiative is one of the strategic steps of Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration to promote academic excellence and ensure quality learning materials reach schools across the state.
“With this development, we don’t need to run to China or depend on unqualified contractors for supplies,” Rimin-Zayam explained.
“Our schools now have exercise books and chalks produced right here in Bauchi, and that is a major achievement for the state.”
The commissioner added that the initiative goes beyond new production, revealing that the state has also started rebranding old textbooks to make them usable again.
“If our textbooks can be produced and rebranded locally, alongside exercise books and chalks, then education in Bauchi is truly moving forward,” he said.
He also hinted that the chalk production, which is already in large quantities, may soon generate revenue for the state. “The chalks are being produced in millions, and the work is handled by our own staff who are duly paid. When we have enough for ourselves, we can think of exporting to other states,” he added.
The Director of the Education Resource Centre, Kabiru Ahmed, praised the workers’ dedication, stressing that their speed and commitment had significantly boosted production.
“This project is already yielding results for the education sector in Bauchi. The workers deserve commendation for the progress we are seeing,” Ahmed said.
The project is part of ongoing reforms in the state’s education sector, which stakeholders recently reviewed at a budget performance meeting supported by the Malala Fund.
