By Adamu Yusuf
National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) has commenced a high-level advocacy campaign aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children and youths among nomadic communities in six pilot states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The advocacy exercise commenced in Gombe State on Tuesday with a strategic engagement between the Commission and the Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
Representing the Chairman of Gombe State SUBEB, Dr. Dauda Saleh Mohammed, Director of Social Mobilisation, commended the initiative and pledged the Board’s support towards improving access to education for children in nomadic communities.
He said the Board would support the programme through the provision of instructional materials and upgrading of school infrastructure in areas where nomadic communities reside.
Dr. Mohammed described the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) as a transformative initiative capable of bridging the educational gap by providing flexible learning opportunities for children and youths who have been excluded from the formal education system.
Earlier, the Director of Extension Education and Skills Development at the NCNE, Dr. Abdul Umar Ardo, called on Gombe SUBEB to expedite the deployment of facilitators to the ABEP learning centres.
Dr. Ardo said the Commission had identified 10,854 Nomadic Out-of-School Children and Youths in Gombe State, adding that more than 200 ABEP learning centres would be established to enrol the affected children and provide them with access to basic education.
He said the advocacy campaign was part of the Commission’s broader efforts to address the challenges limiting access to education among nomadic populations and ensure that no child is left behind.
