Still many children roaming the streets without an education; some have dropped out, others are Almajiri kids begging for food – education must be prioritised as a fundamental right.

The Borno State government has brought down the number of out-of-school children from 2.2 million to fewer than 700,000 – a 70% reduction.

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum made the announcement at the inauguration of Government Secondary School Mairi by the World Bank country director for Nigeria, Ndiame Diop.

In the past five years, Zulum’s administration has undertaken significant investments in education.

“We have built 104 schools, rehabilitated 2,931 classrooms and distributed free educational materials, including 20 million exercise books, two million textbooks, 15 million sets of school uniforms, 700,000 school bags and millions of other learning tools,” Zulum said.

The alarming number of out-of-school children has been a critical issue in Nigeria, particularly in Borno State where the 15-year insurgency has caused the displacement of more than 3 million people.

Since the insurgency started in 2009, there have been numerous attacks on schools. Educational institutions were torched and destroyed. Thousands of teachers and students were abducted.

According to Amnesty International, children were targeted to prevent them from receiving a “Western” education.

Boko Haram is generally translated from Hausa as “Western education is forbidden”.

Atrocities committed by insurgents – members of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) – on communities throughout Borno State has made it almost impossible for internally displaced children to get access to education.

A large proportion of the out-of-school children are Almajiri kids who leave the care of their parents to learn the Qur’an and study Islam under the tutelage of a Mallam at a Tsangaya school. These children are often seen roaming the streets begging for money and food.

Poverty is a major factor – parents and caregivers do not have enough money to put food on the table let alone send their children to school. Often the kids, particularly girls, are taken out of school to help support the family.

Speaking at the inauguration, Zulum emphasised the success of the school-feeding programme which benefits 50,000 pupils annually, and an initiative that provides 10,000 bicycles to ease travel challenges for rural students.

He said his administration had prioritised Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for out-of-school youths who were older than the conventional school age.

“We have established five Vocational Enterprise Institutes, two Second-Chance Women/Girls Skills Entrepreneurship Schools and reactivated nine existing Vocational Training Centres.

“Our aim is to train approximately 5,000 artisans annually, empowering them with skills for self-reliance and addressing unemployment challenges.”

Zulum thanked the World Bank for supporting Borno State’s developmental efforts through projects such as the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), the Better Education Service Delivery for All, the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project and Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes.

“These initiatives have significantly advanced the developmental strides of our state and we are deeply appreciative of the World Bank’s partnership and support,” he said.

Diop commended Borno State’s commitment to rebuilding the education sector, noting that the World Bank had supported the construction of 41 secondary schools and the rehabilitation of 392 schools across the state.

“This school [Government Secondary School Mairi] is a symbol of resilience, a beacon of hope and a testament to rebuilding better in the wake of adversity. We are impressed by the state’s efforts and remain committed to supporting Governor Zulum’s vision.”

Lawan Abba Wakilbe, the commissioner for education, science, technology and innovation in Borno State, highlighted the transformation of Mairi Secondary School, which had operated from a temporary site for nearly three decades until Zulum’s intervention.

He said that through the AGILE project, the state aims to enrol 50,000 adolescent girls in the next four years.

In addition to Government Secondary School Mairi, Zulum and Diop also commissioned Government Girls Junior Day Secondary School Molai and Government Day Secondary School Gala-Mairi in Muna in the Jere Local Government Area.

Hadiza Lawan, head of the general studies department at the Mohamet Lawan College of Agriculture (MOLCA) in Maiduguri, told RNI that despite the reduction the in number of out-of-school children, the Borno State government still needed to put in more effort into creating awareness about the values of Western education, advising parents and caregivers about the importance of education and providing free school uniforms, writing materials and feeding programmes.

“The Borno State government says that the number of the out-of-school children has decreased to 700,000, but there are still a lot of children roaming the streets without education. Some are children who have dropped out of school; others are from Almajiri schools who spend their time on the streets begging to get something to eat.

“Although there has been a noticeable decrease in number of out-of-school children in the past five years, there are still many schools destroyed in the insurgency that have not been reconstructed and many children living in internally displaced persons’ camps are not getting an education,” Hadiza said.

“The devastating flood that swamped Maiduguri on September 10 destroyed many schools in the metropolis and surrounding areas. The government needs to fast-track the rebuilding and renovation of these schools so that more children can be enrolled.

“Apart from building schools with state-of-the-art facilities, the state government should also consider the provision of free school uniforms, writing materials, textbooks and feeding to attract more street children into schools. Without these, we could go back to square one.

“It is evident that many less-privileged parents and caregivers are unable to enrol their children into schools because of the cost-of-living crisis. When households are struggling financially, children are often taken out of school to help support the family. Many families struggle to make ends meet, forcing them to prioritise basic needs over education.”

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said out-of-school children are more likely to engage in child labour or trafficking, become radicalised or recruited by extremist groups, suffer from poverty and unemployment, lack access to healthcare and social services, and perpetuate cycles of illiteracy and ignorance.

“Increased investment in education infrastructure and resources is crucial, including building and renovating schools, providing adequate materials and equipment, and training qualified teachers.”

Education must be prioritised as a fundamental right and a cornerstone of national development, UNICEF said.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO