The House of Representatives may intervene to ensure that Nigeria’s 14 million out-of-school children are back to school through an special framework.
The Chairman, House Committee on Alternative Education, Rep. Almustapha Aliyu who dropped the hint stated that out-of-school children would be trained with relevant skills to become productive, adding that it was targeted at addressing public education by tackling poverty and value gaps.
Aliyu further explain that this would be in partnership with relevant government agencies, he added that the intervention was aimed at improving access to education for all Nigerian children.
He said this is in line with the aspirations of Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs-4, on qualitative and inclusive education for all.
Hon. Aliyu added that the project is tagged ‘Nigeria Mass Reduction of Out-of-School children and Youth Project’, NiMPROP, and it is proposed to last for a period of four years.
He said it would significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children through non-formal accelerated education system and other alternative schooling programmes.
“The government agencies that the committee is working with include the National Commission for Almajiri and out-of-school Children, the National Commission for Mass Literacy”.
Others include Adult and Non-Formal Education and the National Commission for Nomadic Education.
Aliyu stated that the house would also ensure that 16.5 million Nigerians were lifted out of poverty, which would ensure the return of out-of-school children to schools.
He added that the committee had several engagements with the relevant agencies in the past week with favourable responses.
Aliyu said the necessary machinery had been put in place for the actualisation of the intervention as the house reconvened from its annual recess on Sept 26.
He noted that part of the initiatives was to ensure the significant reduction of poverty in the six geopolitical zones of the country.