By Abraham Aondo
Stakeholders in Education have been urged to identify and ensure the enrollment of the over sixteen thousand out-of-school children in the State to school, as part of efforts to guarantee that no Benue child is left behind.
Governor Hyacinth Alia gave the charge in Makurdi at the maiden Benue Education Summit organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC, National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, and Universal Learning Solutions.
Governor Alia, who announced the donation of Hilux vans to support the identification and enrollment drive, commended UBEC for providing statistical data on out-of-school children in the state and handing over the first tranche of five hundred school kits to the state government.
He acknowledged the support of Benue Links, Fidelity Bank, Benue State Internal Revenue Service, as well as Ukum, Makurdi and Gwer West Local Government Councils and urged other local governments to key into the programme, stressing that collaboration remains critical in achieving desired results.
Executive Secretary, UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, during a symbolic presentation of school kits to selected pupils under the Learners’ Support Programme, said the initiative is aimed at supporting vulnerable children from low-income households noting that the intervention is intended to remove barriers to enrollment, ease financial burden on parents, and boost retention and transition rates.
Executive Secretary, National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, Dr Muhammad Idris, stated that out of the estimated seven hundred thousand out-of-school children nationwide, over sixteen thousand are from Benue State.
Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Professor James Ayatse, while commending the Governor for his commitment to revitalising the education sector, appreciated development partners for their support and appealed for greater involvement of traditional and religious leaders in grassroots mobilization efforts to ensure that all children return to the classroom.
The theme of the summit is: “Innovative Strategies for Addressing the Menace of Out-of-School Children: Enhancing Enrollment and Retention of Children in Basic Schools.”
Edited By Terna Injua
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