Gombe, UNICEF Launch Enrolment Drive To Tackle Out-of-School Children Crisis

In a renewed effort to address the growing number of out-of-school children in Gombe State, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and UNICEF, has launched the 2025 Enrolment Drive Campaign.

At a one-day stakeholders’ engagement meeting, the Chairman of SUBEB, Mr. Babaji Babadidi, noted that the campaign aims to raise public awareness and foster collaboration among stakeholders to create a conducive environment for bringing children back to school.

He said each of the state’s 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) has been tasked with enrolling at least 10,000 pupils for the 2025/2026 academic session, totaling 110,000 pupils statewide.

Mr. Babadidi expressed confidence that this strategy could cut the number of out-of-school children in Gombe by 50% by the year 2030.

The State Commissioner for Education, Professor Aishatu Maigari, advocated for an even more ambitious target, proposing that each LGA enrol 20,000 pupils, effectively doubling the target to 220,000 across the state.

According to UNICEF and World Bank data, Nigeria has an estimated 13.5 million out-of-school children, with 787,619 in Gombe State alone. The figure represents approximately 13% of the state’s population, a statistic described as “alarming” by stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office representative, Mohammed Kudi, stressed the importance of clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in not only enrolling children but also ensuring their retention and completion of basic education.

He added that across Nigeria, more than 80% of children are out of school, and Gombe State’s numbers have risen sharply from 500,000 to 737,000, underscoring the urgency of the campaign.

Recall that Governor Inuwa Yahaya had recently signed the framework for of action to tackle out-of-school children phenomenon.

He signed the document during a strategic engagement with UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, with the framework focusing on four priority areas such as engaging political actors, strengthening best practices, mobilising communities, and leveraging technology and innovation to improve access to quality learning.

Calling the situation a national emergency, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said insecurity and mass displacements in the North-East had compounded the education crisis.