NGO applauds FG for out-of-school children initiative

A Non-Governmental Organisation, IA-Foundation’s Founder/CEO, Mrs. Ibironke Adeagbo, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for approving the commencement of the DOTS project to overhaul the education sector, increase enrollment, and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children.

DOTS is an acronym representing: Data Repository, Out-of-School Children’s Education, Teacher Training and Development, and Skill Development and Acquisition.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, made the disclosure on Friday in Shabu, a suburb of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, while simultaneously performing the groundbreaking foundation laying ceremony of the National Examinations Council offices in Nasarawa, Abia, Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Lagos, and Rivers States.

The minister stated that the DOTS project aims to address the lack of coordinated, verifiable, and authentic data in all aspects of the education sector in Nigeria.

Sununu further explained that the new initiative would enable the Federal Government to track the progress of students, thus creating a clear, data-driven mechanism for interventions, especially concerning out-of-school children, girls, and those with specific learning disabilities, among others.

“Out-of-school children represent a major thematic area in the eight-point agenda of President Bola Tinubu, with a priority focus on social welfare, health, and education.

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“Mr. President believes that the over 20 million out-of-school children we have now represent a group of Nigerians that we must pay attention to; otherwise, miscreants can use them to cause and foment trouble in Nigeria,” he said.

On his part, the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, explained that the landmark achievement was a demonstration of the support and commitment of the Federal Government, under the visionary leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, the new state offices in Nasarawa, Abia, Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Lagos, and Rivers States, alongside other magnificent edifices of NECO, would serve as beacons of excellence in the administration of examinations in Nigeria.