Kaduna has hosted a high-level monitoring meeting for the Reaching Out of School Children project, where the federal government and global partners reiterated their pledge to return 100,000 out-of-school children to classrooms over the project’s four-year period.

Education commissioner Abubakar Sani Sambo reiterated the Governor Uba Sani administration’s commitment to tackling the state’s out-of-school challenge through ROOSC.

Mr Sambo commended development partners, including the Global Partnership for Education, the Kuwait Fund, the Islamic Development Bank, Education Above All, Save the Children, and UNICEF, for promoting access to quality education in Kaduna.

He noted that the project aligns with the governor’s human capital development agenda, stressing that partnerships with global institutions are crucial to closing the education gap.

He called on community and local government stakeholders to actively support enrollment drives and project monitoring.

Representing the federal government, Folake Olatunji David, director of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education, highlighted that education is a priority under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

She noted that the ROOSC project is Nigeria’s first multiplier initiative with GPE, aimed at fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration to address the nation’s persistent out-of-school crisis.

Ms David recalled the achievements of the 2015 Nigeria Partnership for Education Project across five northern states, including Kaduna, while noting that the challenge of out-of-school children remains ongoing.

Jawara Gaye of IsDB reiterated that the ROOSC project is central to the bank’s efforts to improve access to education and learning outcomes in member countries, including Nigeria and Pakistan, which have high numbers of out-of-school children.

He pledged to engage in collective problem-solving to ensure the project’s success.

GPE representative, Dorian Gay, highlighted the project’s focus on reaching marginalised children, including girls, children with disabilities, and those in conflict-affected areas.

Jane Mbagi Mutua of Save the Children added that access to education also serves as a form of protection for children.

Ezra Angai, ROOSC project coordinator in Kaduna, noted that the 2026 Joint Supervision Mission marks the project’s second year.

He acknowledged challenges such as inflation and foreign exchange fluctuations but confirmed that all partners remain committed to the four-year goal of bringing 100,000 children back to school.

Balad Ada of UNICEF described the review meeting as a critical step toward ensuring Kaduna children enjoy their right to quality education.

(NAN)