The Reaching Out-of-School Children ROOSC project has launched the distribution of learners’ kits in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The flag-off ceremony took place at LEA Primary School, Unguwar Mu’azu, with stakeholders on education particularly religious and community leaders in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the State Coordinator of ROOSC Project in Kaduna State, Mr. Ezra Angai, described the initiative as a collaborative effort between the Kaduna State Government and its development and implementing partners to improve access to quality education for out-of-school children.
He explained that the project, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, is being implemented by Save the Children, with support from UNICEF.
“The initiative is funded through a combination of soft loans and grants facilitated by the Islamic Development Bank”.
“The Kaduna State Government secured soft loans and grants to implement this program, aimed at tackling the growing challenge of out-of-school children across the state,” Angai stated.
He noted that the project will see the construction of 102 new schools and the renovation of 170 existing ones, targeting over 200,000 out-of-school children across the 23 local government areas over a four-year period.
Also speaking at the event, the State Team Lead of Save the Children, Mallam Tanko Mohammed Langaya, revealed that the ROOSC project plans to distribute 500,000 teaching and learning materials to schoolchildren as part of its core objectives.
He said the learning materials are not merely supplementary, they are foundational to quality education. Ensuring that every child has access to age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and engaging materials is a crucial step toward achieving inclusive and equitable learning for all children in Kaduna State.”
The Project Coordinator of Save the Children, Mr. Emmanuel Mbursa also highlighted the distribution of 100,000 learning kits as a significant milestone in the effort to reintegrate out-of-school children into the formal education system.
He stressed the need for community ownership to ensure the project’s sustainability.
In his remarks, the Director of Planning at the State Ministry of Education, Mr. Salisu Bala, reiterated that the project targets children aged 6–11 and adolescents aged 12–18 who are currently out of school, with the goal of providing them with quality primary education.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the School-Based Management Committees SBMC in Kaduna South, Alhaji Usman Sani, who is also the Village Head of Badikko, underscored the critical role of education in addressing national challenges such as insecurity and economic instability.
He urged parents and community leaders to ensure that all school-age children are enrolled in school and raised concerns about the lack of access to early childhood education in some parts of the state.
Alhaji Usman Sani commended Governor Uba Sani for his commitment to inclusive education, describing the ROOSC project as a transformative step toward building a better future for children in Kaduna State.
Presently nine LGA already selected for the distribution of learning kids, Kaduna South, Igabi and Kaduna North, Sabon Gari, Soba and Lere.
Others Kachia, Jema’a and Kauru Local government areas
