# Jigawa State and IsDB Partner on $110 Million Education Project The SMART Project aims to enhance school infrastructure and teacher training in Nigeria. - **Source:** [Premium Times Nigeria](https://www.premiumtimesng.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-07 - **Topic:** [Finance](https://brifing.si/c/finance) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b8b6f334-128d-4bec-8ca4-4b771158e4e9 ## Strategic Education Collaboration Jigawa State is partnering with the Islamic Development Bank to launch a $110 million education initiative. Known as the SMART Project, this effort focuses on upgrading school infrastructure and enhancing teacher capacity. The collaboration aims to create a more conducive learning environment across Jigawa and two other participating Nigerian states. ## Mission and Project Scope An IsDB delegation led by Imtiaz Alam visited Dutse to conduct a preparatory mission. The project scope includes constructing new schools, rehabilitating existing facilities, and installing essential water and sanitation systems. These physical improvements are designed to support broader educational goals and ensure sustainable development within the state's public school system. ## Selection and Financing Mechanism Participating states were chosen based on their readiness, feasibility of proposals, and specific indicators like teacher-to-student ratios. The financing structure combines IsDB development funds with grant support from the Global Partnership for Education. The bank is also actively seeking to mobilize additional resources from other international development partners to maximize impact. ## State Government Education Priorities Governor Umar Namadi emphasized that the state is already implementing measures to improve enrollment and retention. Recent efforts include the establishment of the Tsangaya Education Board and a policy requiring political appointees to return out-of-school children to classrooms. These initiatives demonstrate the state's commitment to addressing systemic educational challenges before project implementation. ## Teacher Recruitment and Supervision To bolster the quality of instruction, the Jigawa government has recruited over 10,000 teachers at the basic education level. This staffing surge is intended to strengthen supervision, monitoring, and evaluation processes. The proposed IsDB intervention will complement these local efforts by providing the necessary resources to sustain long-term teacher development programs. ## Integration of Tsangaya Schools A key component of Jigawa's strategy involves integrating Tsangaya schools into the formal system. By creating model categories for these traditional institutions, the government aims to reduce the number of out-of-school children. The IsDB project is expected to provide the infrastructure needed to support these integrated learning models effectively. ## Approval and Implementation Process The current mission aims to document state priorities for a comprehensive project proposal. This document will be submitted to the IsDB Board of Executive Directors for formal consideration and approval. Once finalized, the project will provide the additional resources required to raise educational standards and ensure students can compete globally. ## Long-term Educational Impact The collaboration represents a significant step in Jigawa's efforts to modernize its education sector. By leveraging international expertise and funding, the state aims to achieve sustainable progress in learning outcomes. The success of this project will likely serve as a benchmark for future development interventions in other Nigerian states. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.premiumtimesng.com/promoted/923479-jigawa-islamic-development-bank-collaborate-on-110m-project-to-improve-schools-teacher-development.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._