Adamawa Monarchs join campaign to address issue of out-of-school children
By Samuel Luka
As the menace of out-of-school children threatens the future of youth who are leaders of tomorrow, Monarchs in Adamawa state have pledged their full commitment to combating the issue within their respective strongholds.
The traditional rulers made the commitment during a high-level meeting organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office in partnership with Global Partnership on Education,(GPE), and collaboration with the Adamawa State Government in Yola.
Led by the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustapha, Chairman of the Council of Emirs and Chiefs, the monarchs assured of their support to ensure the attainment of zero out-of-school syndrome in their various domains.
The traditional rulers, specifically, those from the Central Senatorial Zone of the State, said they are ready to take bold steps in the campaign to end the growing rate of out-of-school crisis across the State.
According to a UNICEF-supported report released in January 2024, over 886,000 children in Adamawa State are currently out of school.
The statistics made the traditional rulers to make the pledge, marking a significant step towards addressing this pressing issue and ensuring every child in Adamawa State receives quality education.
In her remarks, Dr.Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi, stressed that the traditional leaders will be a catalyst to lead the campaign for reducing the number of the out-of-school children in their communities.
Nuzhat Rafique said that the UNICEF, as a humanitarian organization is out to protect and promote initiatives for children in ensuring no child is left behind in all aspects of life especially health and education.
Addressing the meeting, held in Numan local government area, the UNICEF Education Expert, Dr. Abdulrahaman Ibrahim Ado said that the aim of the orientation was to strengthen the roles of traditional rulers in promoting school enrollment, retention and transition particularly out-of-school children, girls and vulnerable learners across the state.
Ibrahim Ado explained that the platform is expected to be a renewed commitment by the traditional leaders to serve as education champions in their communities, supporting advocacy, monitoring and mobilization efforts and to enhanced awareness and alignment of traditional institution with state education priorities, policies and donor supported initiatives.
“Develop actionable resolutions and follow up machanism for sustained collaboration between traditional leaders, Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, LGEAs and development partners in addressing barriers to education access and learning outcomes”.He added.
In his presentation on the current status of out-of-school children in the state, Mr.Rufus Isiah Hanawa, Director, planning, Research and Statistics of the Ministry of Education decried that a total of 18,950 children are out of school in the state.
Rufus Hanawa lamented that the national level indicates that 10.2 million children are out of school with 8.1 million in their junior secondary school levels urging that all hands must be on deck to address the challenge head long.
Responding on behalf of the emirs and chiefs at the occasion, paramount ruler of Bachama chiefdom, His majesty, Hama Bachama Ismaila Daniel Shaga applauded the development partners especially Unicef for the intervention pledging their cooperation for the success of the program.
Chief Shaga urged the federal government to provide constitutional role for the traditional institution to enable them function effectively.
Present during the one day meeting were the Six Emirs and Chiefs in Adamawa Southern Zone including; Hama Bachama, Hama Bata, Murum Mbula, Amna Shelleng, Kwadi -Nunguraya and Gangwari Ganye, including stakeholders as well as top government officials.