JALINGO – Two years after Dr Agbu Kefas declared free and compulsory education in Taraba State, public schools are witnessing a historic surge in enrolment, signalling what officials describe as a quiet revolution in the state’s education sector.

Governor Kefas first announced the tuition‑free basic education policy on July 7, 2023, during an inspection tour of public schools in Wukari, insisting that government must bear the cost of educating its children. Under the policy, all tuition and related charges in public primary and secondary schools were abolished, making basic education not only free but also compulsory for every school‑age child in the state.

Fresh data from the Taraba State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education show that the policy is already yielding dramatic results. Primary‑school enrolment has jumped from 760,597 pupils before the policy to 1,049,000 as of July 2025 – a 37.91 per cent increase. Secondary‑school enrolment has risen even faster, from 100,950 students to 186,235, representing an 84.46 per cent leap in just two years.

Education officials say the numbers translate into 288,403 additional children in primary schools and 85,285 more students in secondary schools who might otherwise have been out of class. “Governor Agbu Kefas has made education free, basic and compulsory for all children of school age irrespective of tribe, religion, political background or status,” a statement from the governor’s office noted, describing the policy as a cornerstone of his 5‑point agenda.

To support the influx of learners, the administration declared a state of emergency in education, rolled out the Taraba Education Student Identification System (TESIS) to properly capture and track pupils, and began an aggressive programme of school renovation and expansion across the state.

The governor has also ordered the upgrade of facilities at the Taraba State College of Nursing and Midwifery in Jalingo, linking the basic‑education push with the training of more health professionals for the state.

Beyond classrooms and infrastructure, the government has backed the free‑education initiative by paying external examination fees for students and by repeatedly affirming that free and compulsory education is “non‑negotiable” in Taraba State. Analysts say the combination of policy, funding, and political will is rapidly turning Taraba into one of Nigeria’s most ambitious models for inclusive, publicly funded basic education.