By Aisha Ahmed
The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), organized a one-day engagement with education stakeholders to promote school enrollment. The event, which was held on Friday, focused on addressing the growing challenge of out-of-school children in the state.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Haruna Musa, Chairman of Jigawa SUBEB, emphasized the urgent need to tackle the “out-of-school children syndrome.” He pointed out that Jigawa is one of seven Nigerian states most affected by this issue, with a significant number of children not attending school.
“The forum will help us develop an accelerated plan to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state,” Prof. Musa stated, expressing optimism about the collaboration’s potential to create meaningful change.
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Supporting the initiative, Mr. Ado Zandam, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and member of the State House of Representatives from the Gwaram constituency, pledged legislative support. He expressed concern over the persistence of the problem and promised to advocate for increased enrollment across all constituencies.
UNICEF’s Education Specialist for the Kano Field Office, Mr. Muntaka Mukhtar, stressed that every child in Nigeria has a constitutional right to education. He called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders to ensure this right is upheld.
Mukhtar also commended the Jigawa State Government under Governor Namadi for allocating 32% of the annual budget to education, surpassing the recommended benchmark.
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Alhaji Bala Mohammed, Sarkin Kudun Gumel, representing the state’s traditional rulers, urged for widespread awareness campaigns to inform parents about the importance of enrolling their children in schools. He emphasized that this step is crucial for reversing the trend of declining school enrollment.
The event, attended by key stakeholders including members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, education executives, traditional rulers, women’s groups, and the media, aimed to promote and accelerate school enrollment across Jigawa’s 30 constituencies.
The collaborative effort is seen as a major step towards addressing the state’s education crisis and ensuring that more children gain access to basic education.