November 21, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), led by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, has reaffirmed commitment to support the ongoing amendment of the 1999 constitution.
Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, disclosed this at the end of the 7th physical meeting of the Forum on Wednesday night in Abuja.
A communiqué of the meeting read by Sani, said the Forum discussed national issues, including constitutional amendments, the tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly, as well as issues of insecurity.
He said the Forum engaged Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Benjamin Kalu, who provided insights into the ongoing amendment.
Sani quoted the deputy speaker as emphasising the importance of collaboration between the forum and the committee, proposing the establishment of a “one-stop-shop” framework to align state-level priorities in the review process.
“Governors pledged their support for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitments to actively engage in shaping the amendments that will strengthen Nigeria’s constitution”, he said, adding that the forum also engaged the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on the strategies to reposition Nigeria’s education system for improved outcomes.
Sani said the minister highlighted some challenges, including the high rate of out-of-school children and poverty, particularly in the North-East and North-West zones.
“Key proposals discussed included: strengthening collaboration between federal and state governments, improving the quality of the girl-child education, integrating vocational training and leveraging data and technology to enhance educational management systems.
“The governors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with the Federal Government and development partners to address these challenges and align efforts toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4)”, Sani said.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Sani said discussions regarding tax reform were also part of the meeting’s agenda but added that they were still consulting on the matter. He expressed confidence that a consensus would be reached on the tax reform in their subsequent meetings.
Sani further stated that the forum was collaborating with relevant security agencies to address the ongoing security challenges in the country.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
