By Sanusi Muhammad, Gusau
The Zamfara State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, has inaugurated a eighteen-member State Technical Committee to address Out-of-School Children (OOSC) challenges in the state.
The event took place at the Ministry’s conference room in Gusau, the state capital weekend .
Inaugurating the committee, the commissioner of education science and technology, Malam Wadatau Madawaki explained that, setting up the committee is a significant step in addressing the out-of-school crisis and demonstrating the government’s commitment to ensuring that every child has access to quality education.
According to him, based on the Universal Basic Education Commission’s 2018 survey indicated that the number of out-of-school children had soared from 701,086 to an alarming 1,068,786 by 2024.
“This statistic underscored the urgent need for action and collaboration, leading to the establishment of the Zamfara State Technical Team (STT) on the OOSC Initiative in partnership with UNICEF”.
He emphasized that education is a fundamental right of every child and it is the collective responsibility of the government, communities, and stakeholders to ensure that every child has access to quality schooling.
Blueprint reports that among the Eighteen members appointed to the Technical Team are individuals from various educational backgrounds and community sectors, united by a shared vision and an unwavering commitment to improving education access.
He urged the newly inaugurated STT committee to develop effective strategies while remaining sensitive to the cultural and religious sentiments of our communities.
He stressed that the state government through his ministry will involve traditional institutions, religious leaders, and community stakeholders in order to welcome back and educate out-of-school children in the state.
The Chairman Zamfara state universal basic education board ZSUBEB, Professor Nasir Garba Anka, represented by the Permanent Member II, Dr. Rabi’atu Musa Mafara reiterated the board’s commitment to work closely with the STT to identify and enroll more children, especially girls, into schools.
The Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Maryam Yahaya Shantali, emphasized the government’s recent declaration of state of emergency on education as a yeardatic to address the educational crisis in the state.
In his remarks , the UNICEF Field Officer, Mr. Francis Elisha echoed the support of international partners, affirming UNICEF’s commitment to working collaboratively with the Zamfara State government.
