The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE) has intensified its nationwide advocacy and community engagement campaigns to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality basic education for every Nigerian child, especially the marginalised and out-of-school population.
In Yobe State, the Commission’s advocacy team, led by Goni Muhammad Danbaba, paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Potiskum, as part of a coordinated outreach across Potiskum and Fune LGAs. The team also engaged with traditional institutions in the Emirates of Ngelzarma, Fika, and Gudi. The visits were met with overwhelming support and a renewed commitment from traditional leaders to modernise and integrate the Almajiri education system into the national framework. His Royal Highness, the Emir of Fika, commended the Commission’s efforts and assured full cooperation.
This state-level engagement is part of a broader strategy by NCAOOSCE to drive awareness, foster stakeholder collaboration, and expand educational access through community-based initiatives.
Widening Reach Across States
The Commission has recorded remarkable milestones across several states:
Ekiti State: A newly established learning centre in Erinfun Community, Ado Ekiti LGA, has enrolled over 100 out-of-school children. The centre, housed in a six-room facility donated by a community member, is fully equipped with learning materials and volunteer teachers.
Oyo State: Another learning centre has been opened in Ita Shaku, Ibadan Southeast LGA, hosted at an Almajiri home in Akinyele. The centre has enrolled 70 children and is supported by four volunteer educators.
Kano State: The advocacy team has completed sensitisation campaigns across Minjibir, Rogo, and Shanono LGAs. Several community clusters, such as Wasai, Rums, Flatun, Tsaure, and Faruruwa, were reached, with plans to establish additional centres in underserved areas.
Cross River and Ogun States: Community meetings and sensitisation drives were carried out, targeting parents and caregivers to promote school enrolment and reintegration. The campaigns emphasised the benefits of structured learning and the importance of keeping children in school.
Other states, including Kogi, Zamfara, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Osun, are actively engaged in mop-up enrolment exercises, with new learning centres launched and classes already in progress.
A National Commitment to Leave No Child Behind
These interventions are part of NCAOOSCE’s strategic plan to eradicate illiteracy and social exclusion among Nigeria’s most vulnerable children. Through advocacy visits, community sensitisation, learning centre establishment, and collaboration with traditional leaders, the Commission continues to build momentum toward a more inclusive and equitable education system.
“Our goal is clearto ensure no child is left behind,” the Commission reiterated in a statement, highlighting its continued mop-up operations and expansion of educational access across rural and urban communities.
The Commission called on all stakeholdersgovernments, NGOs, religious leaders, and citizensto support the drive for inclusive education, stressing that every child, regardless of background or circumstance, deserves the right to learn, grow, and succeed.
