Governor Namadi’s Back-To-School Campaign Receives Boost In Jahun LG

While education remains a cornerstone of human development, the persistently high rate of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria continues to pose a serious challenge—one that demands collective, inclusive efforts to address.

Historically, teaching and learning were deeply ingrained in the culture of Northern Nigeria. According to A.A. Falola’s History of Nigerian Education, there were over 50,000 learning centres across the Sokoto Caliphate long before the arrival of Europeans. Yet today, the region lags significantly in educational development.

Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa’ad Abubakar, has repeatedly voiced concern, urging leaders across the region to rise to the occasion and tackle the out-of-school children crisis before it spirals further out of control.

Recognising the grave social consequences of allowing a large number of children to remain out of school, the Governor of Jigawa State, His Excellency Malam Umar Namadi, has prioritised education as a core component of his administration’s 12-point agenda. His goal is to create an enabling environment that guarantees every child access to quality education from primary through to tertiary levels.

To this end, Governor Namadi has introduced strategic policies to encourage parents to enrol and retain their children in school. These include community mobilisation initiatives, the formation of mothers’ groups, the provision of well-equipped classrooms and furniture, and the recruitment of over 7,000 new teachers.

Additionally, the administration has expanded its school feeding programme to cover primary 1-6, introduced free uniforms, and implemented free education policies, all designed to boost enrolment and retention.

The government has also launched a policy to improve foundational skills and learning outcomes under the popular initiative “Jigawa Unite.”

The Governor has officially launched the Back-to-School Campaign, targeting school dropouts and out-of-school children to reintegrate them into the educational system. The campaign has gained remarkable momentum and received commendations from UNICEF, a key partner in the initiative.

Governor Namadi has further challenged all members of his executive council and political appointees to return to their communities and actively support the campaign within their capacities.

In line with this directive, the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Jaruna Aliyu Dangyatin has championed the campaign in his constituency and called on fellow legislators to join the cause.

Responding to the Governor’s clarion call, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Mr Usman Muhammad Jahun, has set up a robust framework in collaboration with the Jahun Local Government Education Authority to boost the campaign in the area.

Mr Jahun has set a target of supporting 1,000 children to return to school, with 250 already re-enrolled across various schools in the locality.

According to the  Jahun Local Education Secretary, Mrs Jummai Bala Birnin-Kudu, the campaign is being closely monitored and implemented by the Social Mobilisation Unit of the local education authority, in partnership with traditional leaders and School-Based Management Committees (SBMC).

Mrs Bala noted that during a recent state education sector meeting, Jahun was identified as one of the local government areas with the highest number of out-of-school children. She described the situation as alarming and disheartening to every patriotic citizen.

She further stated: “The efforts made by Hon. Usman  Jahun are highly commendable. They complement our work and the policies of His Excellency Governor Namadi in addressing the out-of-school children crisis in Jigawa State.

” Every child brought back to the classroom is a step toward building a greater Jigawa.” Mrs Jummai

At the launch event, held at Ruwandawa Primary School on the outskirts of Jahun Local Government headquarters, Mr Usman Muhammed  Jahun distributed school uniforms, writing materials, and school bags to re-enrolled pupils.

The 250 pupils were reintegrated into several primary schools, including Dogaw Primary School, Dogaw Nomadic School, Yar-Jigawa Primary School, Koya Yamma and Koya Gabas Primary Schools, and Kwana Janawa Primary School.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Usman Muhammad  Jahun reiterated his determination to complement Governor Namadi’s vision.

He affirmed his commitment to supporting 1,000 children with the necessary learning materials and incentives.

He also revealed that the parents of the re-enrolled children were engaged in productive discussions about the importance of education and the roles they must play, in collaboration with the government, to raise responsible, productive members of society.

The Security Special Adviser emphasised that a robust monitoring mechanism has been established to track attendance and ensure meaningful learning.

The Headmaster of Ruwandawa Primary School, Malam Auwal Ibrahim, shared his experience, noting that he was the school’s pioneer headmaster and had successfully graduated two sets of students.

He added that more than 50 students from the village have now proceeded to secondary school, unlike before, when very few continued beyond the primary level.

“Through sustained engagement with parents, backed by traditional leaders, many have now agreed to allow their children to continue their education,” he said.

“Based on my experience, parents need not only counselling but also visible learning outcomes. I am confident that interventions like this will go a long way in strengthening school attendance.”

The District Head of Jahun, Alhaji Shehi Yawale, expressed optimism that the out-of-school crisis can be tackled, noting that political leaders, community heads, and the general public now view the issue as a collective failure that requires a unified response.

During the distribution exercise, the children and their parents were visibly elated and pledged to ensure regular attendance until graduation.

It is important to recall that education is the bedrock of sustainable development. Northern Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind, especially as a region that produced renowned scholars who authored thousands of books across diverse fields long before colonial rule.

By acknowledging our challenges, we are neither weak nor defeated. Rather, we must unite and redouble our efforts to advance the educational cause, as demonstrated by Mr Usman Muhammad Jahun through his practical and inspiring intervention.