The government of Benue State has reaffirmed its determination to eliminate the growing number of out-of-school children through a major education summit convened by the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The summit, organised in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE) and Universal Learning Solutions (ULS), brought together education stakeholders, traditional rulers and religious leaders to deliberate on sustainable solutions to the out-of-school crisis.
Held at Moses Orshio Adasu University in Makurdi, the summit carried the theme “Innovative Strategies for Addressing the Menace of Out-of-School Children: Enhancing Enrolment and Retention of Children in Basic Schools.”
Speaking at the event, Hyacinth Alia reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing free and compulsory basic education for every child in the state. He stressed that education remains a fundamental right and should not be denied to any child.
The governor commended UBEC for supporting Benue and selecting the state as the launch site for the distribution of school kits, assuring that the support would be effectively utilised to improve learning outcomes.
According to him, the focus must now shift beyond building school structures to creating opportunities that secure the future of children in the state.
“We must now move from building schools to building futures. It is in this spirit that we convened this summit,” Alia said, adding that the gathering was designed to produce practical strategies based on global best practices.
As part of efforts to address the challenge, the governor launched the Brace Up Project and inaugurated student marshals across the state’s local government areas to help identify and monitor out-of-school children in their communities.
To support the initiative, Alia announced the donation of a bus and a Hilux vehicle for the project, describing it as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to ensuring every child returns to school.
He also urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the free basic education policy, while praising teachers for their dedication to improving the quality of education in the state.
The governor commended the Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Grace Adagba, for her leadership and efforts in strengthening the state’s basic education system. He noted that since she assumed office, school enrolment has increased while infrastructure in public schools has improved significantly.
Alia further acknowledged the contribution of NCAOOSCE in providing data on out-of-school children in the state, revealing that school materials have already been supplied to support the reintegration of 525 children into the education system.
Former Benue governor Gabriel Suswam, who also spoke at the summit, identified poverty as a major factor responsible for the out-of-school crisis in Nigeria and called for urgent interventions to address the situation.
Similarly, the Tor Tiv, James Ayatse, emphasised the need to involve traditional and religious leaders in the campaign to ensure more children return to school.
Executive Secretary of NCAOOSCE, Muhammad Idris, revealed that the commission had identified more than 700,000 out-of-school children across the country. He commended the Benue government for enrolling those identified in the state into schools.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, also praised the reforms being implemented in Benue’s basic education sector, highlighting recent initiatives that allow states to access over N100 billion in counterpart funding for education projects.
Adagba, while presenting the administration’s education scorecard, said the state has aligned with national education targets, revived free nursery education in public schools, expanded early childhood education and strengthened school infrastructure and security.
She added that the state had recruited over 9,000 teachers while improving welfare packages, including payment of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria allowances and implementation of a harmonised retirement age for teachers.
Chief Executive Officer of Universal Learning Solutions, Gary Foxcroft, described the summit as a strong demonstration of collective commitment to improving education in Benue. He also announced the donation of 1,000 Jolly Phonics books to support literacy programmes in the state.
Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Ronke Soyombo, applauded the reforms under the Alia administration, noting that the state has witnessed significant improvements in its basic education system.
At the event, the Nigeria Union of Teachers presented Governor Alia with a gold award in recognition of his administration’s commitment to education development.
