Sokoto Govt Earmarks N500m for Learning Centres for Out-of-School Children
The Sokoto State Government has earmarked N500 million for the establishment of learning centres for out-of-school children in Gandu and Bado areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on Almajiri and out-of-school children’s education held at the Auditorium of the Sultan Maccido Institute for Qur’anic and General Studies in Sokoto.
The engagement was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education, in collaboration with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education.
Prof. Ladan Ala said the state government had already paid 30 per cent of the project cost to the contractor, allowing full mobilisation to the sites for the commencement of construction.
He explained that the centres would provide a combination of basic Western education, Islamic education and entrepreneurship skills, aimed at equipping beneficiaries with the knowledge and skills needed to become self-reliant and productive members of society.
The commissioner also disclosed that the Sokoto State Government, in collaboration with UNICEF, had constructed three Digital Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Centres across the state.
According to him, 1,816 out-of-school children are currently undergoing basic literacy and numeracy training as part of efforts to address the state’s out-of-school children challenge.
Speaking at the engagement, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, represented by his Special Adviser on Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education, Dr. Balarabe Shehu Kakale, said the Almajiri education system was undergoing major reforms at both federal and state levels.
Kakale said the reforms were designed to address street begging while integrating basic literacy, numeracy and vocational skills into traditional Qur’anic education.
He also highlighted the nationwide tour by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education to assess existing programmes, engage stakeholders and strengthen the delivery of Almajiri education across the country.
Also speaking, Nura Muhammad, who represented the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education, stressed the importance of stakeholder engagement in developing practical and sustainable solutions to challenges affecting Almajiri and out-of-school children.
The Special Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on Almajiri Schools, Hon. Bashar Haliru Dogon Daji, commended the organisers and participants for their contributions, describing the engagement as an important platform for strengthening collaboration among government, traditional institutions, development partners and other stakeholders.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to initiatives aimed at improving access to quality education and creating sustainable opportunities for Almajiri and out-of-school children.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Sanusi Aliyu Binji, called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, traditional institutions, development partners and other stakeholders to improve access to quality education for vulnerable children.
The representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abdulrauf, Sarkin Bodinga, also attended the engagement.
The meeting was attended by heads of parastatals and directors under the state Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, representatives of UNICEF and Plan International, among other stakeholders.
Participants called for sustained collaboration to strengthen the Almajiri education system, expand learning opportunities and ensure that vulnerable children across the state have access to education and skills for a productive future.
