The Niger State Ministry of Education in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), has engaged traditional leaders on the sustainability of its Girl Education Project (GEP3).
The State Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Hannatu Jibrin Salihu, described traditional rulers as “people whose opinions were respected by members of their communities, hence the need to engage them to ensure that all school-aged children enrol, remain, and complete school.”
According to her, parts of the objective of the meeting was the establishment of community accountability systems and sustainability of GEP3, sensitise the traditional rulers on the project.
Hajiya Hannatu Salihu thereby called on the traditional rulers to take up the enrollment drive campaign to nooks and crannies of their communities in order to reduce the menace of out-of-school children and pledged government support.
“The time has come for us all to reach out to parents and guardians under your domains to ensure their children and wards are enrolled in school, retained and at least complete basic education,” she said.
In his remarks, Education Officer, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Mr Francis Elisha explained that the meeting was to have a mutual understanding of accountability and sustainability of GEP3.
“UNICEF has been supporting the state to implement the GEP3 for a decade now. It is important for traditional rulers at the community level to come and have an understanding of GEP3, to discuss and commit to the sustainability of the project,” he stated.
Elisha said that the traditional rulers and education secretaries were from nine UNICEF focus local governments and solicited their commitment to the sustainability of the project as it comes to an end in June.
Also, UNICEF Focal Person for the state Universal Basic Education, Mallam Abubakar Yusuf urged the traditional rulers to implement what they have heard and ensure every child was in school as well as teachers discharging their duties.
Isah Alhassan, from Edati Local Government Area of the state, said he would meet with parents, pupils, education policy-makers at the grassroots level to ensure that children are enrolled in school and the importance of western education.
“I will sensitise my people on the need to have Western Education, ensure the children are in school at the time they are supposed to be there and ensure teachers and school-based committee are committed to their jobs,” he said.
Another participant, Mohammed Madaki, Acting District Head of Madaka, in Shiroro local government area of the state gave an assurance to continue to champion the importance of girl-child education in the area and ensure that every parent sponsors their girl-child to school.
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UNICEF, Niger Govt engages traditional leaders on sustenance of girl-education project
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