Universal Basic Education Commission(UBEC), in collaboration with the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has flagged off a school enrolment drive in northern states. The federal government’s initiative aims to tackle the region’s high number of out-of-school children.
At the ceremony initiative in Lausu Primary School in Rano local government area, Kano State, UBEC head, Aisha Garba, represented by her deputy, Razaq Akinyemi, said the initiative was premeditated to ensure all school-age children are enrolled and retained to complete basic education in the country.
She said UBEC has provided complementary interventions to enhance the learning environment, increase the supply of learning materials, and improve teacher availability and quality.
“From challenges associated with the Boy-Child, Girl-Child, street children, Almajiri and educating Children with Special Needs. We must therefore collectively put all hands on deck to address the challenge of low access to basic education opportunities,” she noted.
While urging stakeholders to unite and develop effective strategies in promoting quality education and improving access for all, Garba highlighted that, by working together, they can identify and address the challenges.
The Director of Quality Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Bello Rabe, who represented Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed, reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to revamp the education sector in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Kano state Governor Abba Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Ali Makoda, described the school enrollment drive as a wake-up call to address the out-of-school challenge in the state.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to revamping the education sector, noting that it is currently remodelling and constructing school infrastructures across the state.
He further urged all the school Heads to ensure they enrol all school-age children in the upcoming session in line with the 2025-2026 National enrollment initiative.
Also speaking was the Kano State SUBEB Chairman, who spoke on behalf of the Northern SUBEB Chairman. Malam Yusuf Kabir called for support from both parents, guidance and other stakeholders, noting that enrolling a child in education is an investment for the future.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kano, Rahama Farah, who was represented by the Officer-in-Charge, Michael Banda, stressed UNICEF’s commitment to contributing to addressing the challenges to access, quality, and other systemic issues in Education in Nigeria.
