Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, has called on stakeholders to collaborate for an immediate, aggressive and intensive enrolment drive to address the out-of-school challenge in Nigeria. He said the national target is to reduce uneducated children by at least a quota in the next two years.

According to Sununu, commitment and teamwork are critical elements to eradicate the phenomenon. Opening the maiden Basic Education Summit in Nigeria in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, the minister said despite the huge strides in the nation’s education sector, the number of out-of-school children remained shocking and unacceptable.

Calling on hands to be on deck, Sununu reaffirmed that the current administration would formulate workable policies to revolutionise the sector.
He said the summit was to address current and emerging issues in basic education, including poor enrolment, foundational learning and numeracy, security and safety of schools, funding, research, capacity building and teachers’ development.

In his keynote address, Governor Umo Eno said the country must return to the good old days, where the necessary facilities for teaching and learning were provided for basic schools.

He noted that the event summit marks a significant step towards revolutionising the landscape and ensuring that stakeholders gain comprehensive insights into the nuances that define basic education in the country.