Children numbering about 600,000 has dropped out of school between 2021 to 2022 in Niger State. This was disclosed by the Commissioner, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Hadiza Asabe Mohammed, during a press briefing held at NSUBEB headquarters, Minna on Monday, September 9, 2024.

Asabe hinted that the state has finalised arrangements to launch a comprehensive enrollment drive to increase the number of students in schools across the 25 local councils of the state.

The Commissioner explained that the enrollment drive was under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) intervention.

She noted that the campaign was aimed at increasing the number of enrollments at the primary and secondary school levels, saying that the number of out-of-school children across the state during the period under review was disturbing.

Asabe’s words: “The campaign seeks to address the challenges of low enrollment as well as ensure every child access quality education”.

She also maintained that the campaign is billed to commence September 19, 2024, with sensitisation to three senatorial zones, Emirate councils as well as communities and districts among others.

Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education stated that the educational materials and incentives will be share to schools as well as the establishment of feedback avenue to address complaints from parents and guardians, noting however that the target public during campaign are out of school children with especially girl child to enroll in primary and secondary schools.

Hadiza had emphasised that the objective of the campaign was to increase enrollment figure and strengthen partnership between government, schools and the people.

On his part, the Chairman, Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Mohammed Baba Ibrahim, stressed that the campaign will go a long way to aid the increase on school enrollment and enjoined parents/guardians to collaborate with the government so as to achieve the set objectives.