By Oluwabukunmi
Bauchi, September 26, 2025 — The Bauchi State Government has commenced the local production of exercise books and chalks for public schools as part of renewed efforts to improve education delivery and reduce reliance on external contractors.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Muhammed Rimin-Zayam, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to the production site at the Education Resource Centre (ERC) in Bauchi.
According to him, the initiative, supported by Governor Bala Mohammed, will guarantee the supply of quality learning materials and end the era of substandard products supplied by unqualified contractors.
“You can see that exercise books are being locally made in Bauchi State under the supervision of the Ministry of Education with the support of Governor Bala Mohammed. By this development, there is no need to go to China or other countries. It will phase out undue contractors that bring in poor-quality materials,” Rimin-Zayam said.
He further revealed that the state is also producing chalks in large quantities and rebranding existing textbooks to extend their lifespan.
“If we can have our textbooks rebranded here and our chalks produced in millions by our staff, then what else do we need? In fact, we can even think of exporting these chalks in the future to generate revenue for the state,” the commissioner added.
The Director of the Education Resource Centre, Kabiru Ahmed, commended staff for their dedication, noting that their speed and commitment had significantly boosted production capacity. He stressed that the project was already yielding results in strengthening the education sector.
The ERC, established to provide locally made learning materials such as textbooks, exercise books, and chalks, is seen as a model for sustainable educational support in the state.
Meanwhile, a recent budget review meeting under the Strengthening Advocacy for Girls Education Project, funded by the Malala Fund, revealed that Bauchi State has made significant progress in education funding and implementation. The review, which brought together the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Budget, and key stakeholders, assessed the 2025 second-quarter budget performance in the sector.
Education advocates say the ERC project complements these reforms and demonstrates Bauchi’s determination to strengthen access to quality education across the state.
