By Danmusa Mohammed

Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma has been advised to exploit all the opportunities offered by the global trend of public-private partnership to ensure successful execution of his administration’s 13-point agenda.

The governor has however been, commended for his efforts so far, in opening up more vistas of co-operation with some private firms in the execution of projects that are meant to impact positively on the lives of the citizenry.

These were the views of the principal of Al-Iman private school Lafia, Ustaz Ahmed Yijani Rufai in an interview with Nigerian Newsday in his office recently.

According to him, though  joint effort by the government and private sector has remained the best option that would ensure speedy development of the education sector, the state government must rise up to the challenge of providing adequate support and encouragement to private schools.

He disclosed that his institution has continued to excel and improve on its efforts to impart quality education on its pupils and has continued to break more grounds with a yearly result of 95 percent of its graduates gaining admission into universities.

Ustaz Tijani highlighted some of his achievements since he assumed leadership of the institution in 2003 to include an increase in the number of classes and intake into primary and secondary sections, increase in members of teaching staff, construction of a well-equipped laboratory as well as the establishment of a centre in Lafia, for the senior Islamic students and the commencement of diploma programme, among other achievements.

While appealing for improved mutual relationship between parents, government and the school management, the principal made a case for the state government to give the school special grants that would complement its efforts to produce quality graduates.

He said already, two of its graduates  Aliyu Shuiabu and Haruna Ahmed Usman have won scholarships to study medicine and pharmacy respectively at an Islamic university in Sudan.

He commended the Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma’s administration for making education one of its priorities.