Federal Government has assured of its continuous support to ensure effective basic education delivery at the grassroots in the country.

It also noted the need to de-politicise appointment to the office of Education Secretary to ensure better basic education service delivery in the nation, which he said does not augur well for the sector.

Director, Basic Secondary Department in the Ministry, Mrs. Anne Okonkwo, at a three-day workshop organised for education secretaries across the 774 local governments in the country, said today the basic education sector is facing fundamental challenges, especially inadequate funding that requires urgent attention.

Okonkwo, who was represented by Assistant Director in the ministry, Achede Owolicho, also advocated the professionalisation of the office in order to keep away quacks.

Against this backdrop, she charged participants at the workshop to critically examine and review the legal framework for education secretaries with a view to empowering them to perform their vital roles in the education sector.

Niger State governor, Dr. Abubakar Sani Bello, who spoke through the Head of Service, Mohammed Muade, said the importance of education cannot be over emphasised, hence on assumption of office, various measures were taken to overhaul the basic education sector in the state.

This, he explained, included the provision of basic facilities, free basic education policy for every child including adults that could not go to school during their youthful years, payment of counterpart funds so as to attract more funding from other organisations for better service delivery for every child in the state, among others.

Earlier, the President, National Association of Education Secretaries of Nigeria, NAESN, Dr. Hassan Sule, said the annual conference is an opportunity to brainstorm, particularly on issues that may impede on the performance of its members.