The Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, expressed deep concern about the escalating crisis of out-of-school children in northern Nigeria, particularly referring to it as a time bomb that demands immediate attention.
He voiced these apprehensions during the 2023 Bauchi Education Summit held at Dr Saad Abubakar Hajj Camp in Bauchi, where the focus was on enhancing access and quality education in Bauchi State.
Recent data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted that one in three children in Nigeria, totaling 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary school level, is currently out of school.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, in October, disclosed that the number of out-of-school children in his state alone stood at 680,000.
Similarly, Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya reported an increase from over 500,000 in 2019 to more than 600,000 out-of-school children in his state.
Back in 2019, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, emphasized the need for strict legal consequences for parents refusing to send their children to school.
Despite these concerns, Sununu expressed that the rising figures, especially in the North, are not only unacceptable but disheartening.
The minister disclosed that the federal government is taking steps to address the challenge through the newly established National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, set to commence activities.
This commission aims to tackle issues and develop mechanisms for integrating Tsangaya/Madarasa schools into Basic Education.
Highlighting a roadmap named ‘Education for Renewed Hope,’ aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point agenda, Sununu urged support from Ulamas, school proprietors, and sub-national levels to establish similar agencies backed by state laws.
This collaborative effort, he believes, will facilitate better coordination and synergy in recognizing and addressing the status of Tsangaya schools.
Emphasizing that education sector challenges require collective efforts, Sununu commended Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for dedicated commitment towards improving education standards.
Governor Mohammed explained that the summit’s objective was to comprehensively assess education in Bauchi, including the demographics and impact of out-of-school children.
He outlined plans to involve all stakeholders in addressing the state’s education challenges, fostering financial and human resource mobilization, and implementing targeted interventions for Bauchi State’s unique education needs.
