Wife of Gombe State governor, Hajiya Asma’u Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has harped on the importance of Girl-child education encouraging parents to enrol their wards, particularly girl-children into school, describing the number of out-of-school children in Gombe State as alarming and as such concerted efforts must be made to reverse the trend.
The First Lady said this on Monday during the launching of Girl-child Non-formal Learning Centres in a renewed determination to mop- up out-of-school children and improve enrollment level in the state, through Better Education Services Delivery for All (BESDA).
The flagging-off of the Girl-child Non-formal Learning Centres was held in Kuri, Yamaltu/Deba local government area of the state where the First Lady, said that “the collaboration with Better Education Services Delivery for All (BESDA), has the specific objectives of increasing equitable access to education for all children, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results through effective coordination and utilisation of resources”.
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Asma’u Inuwa Yahaya added that “It is against this background that, Kuri Girl-child Learning Centre has been chosen for the flag-off to signal the commencement of Girl-child Non-Formal Learning Centres in Local Government Areas under the BESDA Programme-for-Result (P for R) in the state.”
She then assured of her husband’s readiness to continue to provide an enabling environment for the success of BESDA programmes, as well as the education sector for the development of the state.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Education, Dr Habu Dahiru reiterated the achievements of BESDA in reaching out to out-of-school children, promising that his ministry will continue to come up with initiatives and reforms aimed at revitalising the education sector, especially at the basic level.
On his part, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), Babaji Babadidi assured of his Agency’s determination to ensure the provision of quality teaching and learning facilities in schools across the state.
Also speaking at the event, BESDA Coordinator in the State, Mallam Abdullahi Bappah Garkuwa said relentless efforts are being made to shore up the literacy level of the entire state.
He noted that one of the goals of BESDA is to ensure that in 2 years time, Gombe State attains 60 per cent literacy level from its present 29 per cent.
The BESDA coordinator added that the Girl-child Learning Centres will be replicated across the 11 local government areas of the state.
The First Lady also led her team on an inspection and advocacy visit to Dasa Mai Buzu in Balanga and Lawanti in Akko Local Government areas respectively as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the Governor.
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