Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has tasked the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) over the increasing number of out-of-school children in the country, calling on the agency to intensify efforts to reverse the trend.
Wike gave the charge when he received a delegation from UBEC, led by the Executive Secretary, Hamid Bobboyi on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
In a statement by the Assistant Director, Press (Office of the Honourable Minister), Rabi Musa Umar, the Minister recalled that the Almajiri school system was introduced during his tenure as the Minister of Education in partnership with UBEC to address the challenges of out of school children in the country and called for more efforts from the UBEC to improve the worrisome situation.
Barrister Wike who also stated that the security challenges in the country could not be addressed without reducing the number of out-of-school children, further called on other States of the country to complement the efforts of UBEC in bringing children back to school.
According to the FCT Minister, “All of us know the problems of not just girl child education but out of school children. I don’t know what you are doing as regards all our children roaming the streets. It is the function of UBEC.
“When we were in education, that is when we started the Almajiri schools. In fact, in the whole Northern States, the only State I never visited was Yobe. I visited virtually all the States in the North, Southwest, South South and Southeast where you have more boys dropping out. We tried to see what we could do.
“In the North, we talk about Almajiri and the girl child education and I do know that through UBEC, we were able to build a lot of schools. We were able to buy clothing and sandals and feed them.
“I don’t know what it is now because the number has tripled. It’s so annoying. I do know that you are doing your best but I do know that the States too need to complement your efforts. So many States do not want to pay the very unfortunate counterpart funding.
“The insecurity we are talking about today can never be resolved if we don’t bring these children back to school”.
Barrister Wike, who noted that the increasing influx of people in the FCT from other parts of the country was also contributing to the number of out-of-school children in the nation’s capital, said the FCT Administration was doing its best to also address the situation.
He acknowledged the vital role of the UBEC in the provision of qualitative education in the country and pledged the continued support of the FCT Administration to the activities of the Commission.
Responding to a request for land allocation by the Executive Secretary UBEC, to enable the commission to construct staff quarters in the FCT, the Minister frowned at a situation where institutions are allocated land without developing them, which he said was attracting shanties and criminals to the FCT.
He said institutions seeking land allocation in the FCT must agree to develop the land within a given timeframe and also demonstrate their financial capacity to carry out such developmental activities before allocations are made.
The Minister said, “What we have found out is that most institutions apply for land, you give them land. 20 years, 15 years, no development and then people go and build shanties, which of course attracts criminals to stay and then it becomes a problem for us.
“When you begin to go there and say they should move, then people will come to say ‘Oh people are suffering, the economy is very hard, it’s where they are trying to find what to eat’. It becomes another problem for us.
“Now, for us to give land to any agency, you have to have an agreement with the FCTA through the land Department that you are going to build within a specific time”. He added that the agreement would state clearly the commitment of the agency; ‘If we cannot, you take back your land’.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi acknowledged the development strides that have been recorded within the education subsector in the FCT under the current FCT Administration, especially the renovation and construction of schools as well as support to other education activities.
The Executive Secretary also commended the smart school initiatives in the FCT, which, he said, was encouraging a more modern way of teaching and pledged the readiness of the Commission to collaborate with the FCT to move education forward. Present during the visit were, the Chief of Staff to the Minister, Hon. Chidi Amadi, Ag. Head of Service FCTA, Mrs. Grace Adayilo, Mandate Secretary, Education, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, SSA on Administration, Dr. Samuel Atang and executives of UBEC.
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