VZCZCXRO1174
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0113/01 0290903
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 290903Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0101
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 0082
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0035

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000113 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR SOCI NI
SUBJECT: SOKOTO GOVERNOR GETS HIGH MARKS FOR EDUCATION EFFORTS 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1. (SBU) Media, civil society, and government representatives 
generally gave high marks to Sokoto Governor Aliyu Wamakko for his 
efforts to improved education, but some intended beneficiaries 
voiced dissatisfaction during a mid-January visit by PolOffs to 
this northern Nigerian state.  Many stated that education had 
improved, with the state investing in better teachers and providing 
stipends for transportation and school fees.  A group of students, 
however, voiced concerns over what they viewed as insufficient 
investment in education and lack of job opportunities after 
graduation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
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EDUCATION AND OTHER SUCCESSES 
 
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¶2. (SBU) During a mid-January meeting with PolOffs, Sokoto Governor 
Wamakko listed his greatest success as running a government with "a 
listening ear," which permitted him to tailor programs to meet the 
needs of his constituents.  He cited his greatest challenges as 
limited access to resources for meet the needs of state 
inhabitants, the need to foster greater social responsibility among 
citizens, and inability to address the needs of villages in rural 
areas.  The Governor listed education, agriculture, and healthcare 
as his primary areas of focus.  He remarked that he wanted to leave 
a "peaceful and prosperous" state as part of his political legacy. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Political Affairs Permanent Secretary Salihu Muhammad 
Gatawa separately echoed the Governor's assertion that the state's 
greatest challenge involved meeting the needs and aspirations of 
its citizens.  Gatawa claimed the administration had improved the 
quality of education in Sokoto, noting that students not only 
enjoyed access to free education but that the state had hired more 
qualified teachers and provided resources required by schools. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Similarly, three representatives of the Sokoto Branch of 
the Federal Organization of Muslim Women's Associations of Nigeria 
(FOMWAN) agreed that the state government provided adequate support 
to education.  They cited government improvements in higher 
education, including provision of stipends to students for 
transportation and school fees.  They insisted that students had 
adequate opportunities for employment after graduating from 
secondary school, particularly in the health care sector. 
 
 
 
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BENEFICIARIES PROVIDE DISSENTING VOICE 
 
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¶5. (SBU) In contrast, students at a round table sponsored by the 
American Corner voiced dissatisfaction with the educational system, 
asserting that "it costs too much."  Students expressed the desire 
for "quality" education, as opposed to the "mass" education which 
they said the state currently provides.  They called for greater 
development and openly wondered why Nigeria, "with all its oil 
money," did not experience development similar to other African 
countries with access to less revenue. 
 
ABUJA 00000113  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) One student, who studied previously in the United States, 
suggested provision of additional resources for science and 
technology, including computer labs and updated science books. 
Students complained that insufficient job opportunities existed for 
students after graduation.  One student questioned the value of 
getting a good education when "one can be corrupt in Nigeria and 
succeed." 
 
 
 
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POLITICAL PERCEPTIONS 
 
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¶7. (SBU) Journalist Abu Shekara, who also serves as General Manager 
of the state-owned weekly newspaper "The Path," praised former 
Governor Bafarawa and current Governor Wamakko for their efforts to 
develop the state, noting that the former focused on developing 
infrastructure, while the latter invested more in social programs. 
Shekara voiced support for the incumbent's re-election to allow him 
to finish his longer-duration projects.  He discounted the 
perceived strength of opposition parties in the state.  The 
opposition Democratic People's Party (DPP), he argued, appeared 
stronger in the media than its actual status.  Shekara remarked 
that politicians running in the 2011 elections would not yet 
actively seek leadership positions.  He explained that they would 
wait to be asked three times because of the Islamic concept that a 
person who seeks a position of power is not meant to be a leader. 
SANDERS