Kebbi State government, says it is targeting to enroll a total of about 500,000 out of school children back to school.
The Executive Chairman, Kebbi State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Professor Sulaiman Khalid, made this known at the Flag off of National Campaign on Out of School Children in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
He said survey conducted in 2015 by National Bureau of Statisctics indicated that, there are 814,915 out of school children in Kebbi State.
According to him, last year the state was able to enroll a total of 86,000 out of school children back to school.
Professor Khalid explained that for this year’s target, the state government was planning to enroll back into school a total of 197, 700 out of school girl child, 298, 944 Almajiris as well as 11, 271 nomadic children across the state.
He added that, arrangements have been concluded towards establishing more learning centers in order to cater for the proposed target.
He revealed that, there would be a total of 4,915 non formal learning centers across the state to be established this year which would also generate employment for about 10,000 teachers otherwise referred to as facilitators.
The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, observed that, the country was still having a high rate of out of school children saying, the nation could acheived a sustainable development out a greater percentage of its population.
“It is therefore, a foregone conclusion that no nation can make meaningful progress with a high number of its youth as illiterate. High number of out of school children is inimical to the economic growth and advancement of any country”.
The Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the state, Alhaji Umar Babale Yauri, said the state under various programmes had successfully returned to school over 600,000 out of school children.
Abdullahi Tukur
