Sokoto State Government on Tuesday tasked education stakeholders and community groups on effective sensitisation, advocacy for safe schools and students across the 23 local government areas.
Alhaji Tukur Alkali, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, made the call at a meeting with the stakeholders in commemoration of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
Alkali, who was represented by Alhaji Abdullahi Altine-Durbawa, underscored the need for school environments to be made safe in all the communities to ensure that no child, under any circumstances, would be deprived of education.
He said that if schools were not safe or the environment was perceived to be harmful, there was every tendency that the children would not stay.
Alkali stressed the need for effective advocacy from traditional leaders, down to the School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), among others.
The commissioner commended Plan International; an EU-Funded project tagged ” Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in North Western Nigeria ”.
In his address, the State Project Coordinator, Mr Joseph Julius, said the overall objective of the project was to support education and youth empowerment in North-West Nigeria.
Julius said the support comprised providing youth, in particular girls in rural under-served and nomadic communities with access to inclusive gender transformative and conflict-sensitive equitable quality education and skill development.
” Supporting the government’s efforts to address the challenge of Out of School Children and Youth (OOSCY) through the institutionalization of the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) in the 3 states.
” The project will also support the efforts of the Federal and respective State Governments to empower youth with job-creative skills.
”This is through vocational training as well as addressing the barriers that girls and women face to access education and livelihood opportunities, ” he said.
Julius further emphasised the need to intensify efforts and increase funding to promote safe and protective school environments in humanitarian emergencies by taking all feasible measures to protect schools.
He stated that such efforts would prevent learners and educational personnel from attack and refrain from actions that impede children’s access to education.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event featured presentations, discussions and development of key messages to be shared on social, local and national media.
The topic was ” Protecting Education: A Shared Responsibility”, and participants included various representatives.
They were from the Ministry of Education, Nigeria Police, Nigeria. Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC), Department of State Services and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). (NAN)