The Sokoto State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners, has unveiled a 10-year gender-responsive and climate-resilient education plan on the state.

The project aimed at transforming learning and ensuring inclusive access to quality education for children across the state.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Professor Ahmed Ladan Ala, commended the initiative, describing the plans as an important framework for addressing challenges confronting education in the state.

He urged those who developed the documents to accept constructive criticism, saying stakeholder input would help strengthen the plans and make them more responsive to the needs of the people.

Ala also endorsed the documents for use in the state, calling for their effective implementation to translate the plans into tangible improvements in education delivery.

In his presentation The UNICEF Sokoto Field Office Chief, Dr Michael Juma, said the plans provided an opportunity to address major barriers preventing children from accessing and completing quality education in the state.

Juma identified poverty, insecurity, displacement, socio-cultural barriers and limited learning opportunities as factors undermining enrolment, retention, transition and educational outcomes, particularly in northern Nigeria.

He said the plans must move beyond policy documents and be translated into practical interventions that would ensure every child in Sokoto had access to quality education, felt safe in school and acquired the knowledge and skills needed to thrive.

He identified three priorities for successful implementation: urgent implementation, sustainable financing and accountability, and ensuring that no child was left behind.

“The plans must be reflected in government budgets, work plans and partner-supported programmes. We must also ensure timely allocation of resources, efficient utilisation of funds and transparent tracking of expenditure”

“We must take deliberate measures to reach children in hard-to-reach communities and remove the barriers confronting girls, children with disabilities, Almajiri learners, nomadic children and children affected by insecurity, poverty and displacement”

He assured that UNICEF would continue to support Sokoto State in strengthening its education system and ensuring that the plans moved from policy to practice.

Also speaking, the Director-General/Chief Executive of the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Dr A.D. Shofoyeke, said the state government plans were part of a wider NIEPA-UNICEF collaboration to strengthen education planning and administration in five states of Lagos, Jigawa, Enugu, Sokoto and Adamawa.

Shofoyeke said the collaboration began in 2025 with the review of existing education sector documents and training of education planners and Education Management Information System (EMIS) officers on evidence-based planning, gender-transformative education, equity and disability-inclusive education.

He said the initiative also involved developing local education sector plans and conducting annual education sector performance assessments.

Shofoyeke stressed that the success of the initiative would not be measured by the production of policy documents alone, but by their implementation and impact on children and communities.

“This collaboration is not just about drafting plans; it is about implementation and impact,” he said.

He urged the state government to use the operational plans as a basis for preparing annual education budgets, noting that they were aligned with government policies and programmes.

The NIEPA boss further disclosed that the institute was strengthening the capacity of education planners and EMIS officers in SUBEBs and organising annual conferences for officials responsible for planning, quality assurance, EMIS and teacher professional development.

He urged stakeholders to take ownership of the plans and ensure their effective implementation for improved education outcomes across Sokoto State.

The State Education Strategic Plan (SESP) 2026–2035, alongside the State Education Sector Operational Plan (SESOP) 2026–2028 and Local Education Sector Operational Plans (LESOPs) 2026–2028, was unveiled on Friday during a dissemination workshop in the state.

The LESOPs cover eight local government areas including Gada, Tureta, Gwadabawa, Tangaza, Goronyo, Isa, Sabon Birni and Yabo.