The Kano State Government on Monday said it had recorded an 11.3 per cent reduction in the number of out-of-school children in the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Ali Abubakar-Makoda, disclosed this while flagging off the distribution of learning materials to 5,022 learners under the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), who are due to transition to formal schools in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ABEP is a European Union-funded project being implemented by Plan International in three Local Government Areas (LGAs), namely Nassarawa, Kumbotso and Gwale.
Makoda attributed the high number of out-of-school children in the state to population pressure and the influx of people into the state.
He, however, commended Plan International and other development partners for their interventions, which he said had contributed to the progress made in reducing the number of out-of-school children.
‘There is no doubt, Plan International has really assisted Kano State in many ways.
‘When we came on board, we met many problems on the ground with regards to the education sector.
‘One of the challenges is the number of out-of-school children because of the high population pressure and influx we are experiencing, which brought about the high number of out-of-school children in the state.
‘But thank God, through the help of donor agencies such as Plan International, the figure of out-of-school children dropped by 11.3 per cent.
‘This is a very welcome development,’ he noted.
The commissioner urged development partners to sustain the tempo of support to the government and expand the intervention beyond the three LGAs.
Earlier, the Advocacy and Campaign Officer for Plan International, Alhassan Hamza-Hussaini, said the organisation was implementing ABEP in the three local government areas of Nassarawa, Kumbotso and Gwale.
Hussaini said: ‘The programme is a pathway for children aged between 10 and 18 who have either never been to school or dropped out, to attain a basic education certificate, acquire vocational skills and later transition back to formal schools.’
He said the organisation started implementing the programme in the state in 2024 and, after one year, had mainstreamed 6,000 children into the formal school system.
The officer noted that the learning materials were meant for 5,022 learners due to transition to various classes, including Primary 4, Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1 and Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1.
He said the support was provided to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state, as the organisation had identified lack of resources for school uniforms and writing materials, among others, as some of the factors preventing children from attending school.
On his part, the Ward Head of Zuwachiki West and Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Centre-Based Management Committee (CBMC), Zubairu Almu, said the programme had succeeded in returning many out-of-school children to school.
He said the initiative had provided beneficiaries with renewed opportunities to continue their education and improve their prospects.