The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu has called on stakeholders, Federal, state, local authorities, and the private sector to collaborate efforts towards immediate, aggressive and intensive enrollment drive.
Sununu was speaking during the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Basic Education Summit in Uyo.
He said that this was part of efforts towards the eradication of the out-of-school children phenomenal in Nigeria.
He said the national target was to reduce out-of-school children numbers by at least a quota in the next two years.
According to him, commitment and team work by stakeholders are critical elements needed to eradicate the phenomenal.
Sununu noted that in spite of the significant development strides in the country’s education sector, the large number of out-of-school children remains shocking and unacceptable, calling on all hands to stay on deck in our national resolve to confront the ugly phenomenal.
The minister reaffirmed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to creative policies and ideas that will take education in the country to enviable heights.
Describing the theme of the Summit; “improving access to quality and inclusive education for all children in Nigeria towards achieving the sustenable development goal 4 as apt and timely, the minister noted that the challenges of the sector are not insurmountable, adding that determination, good thinking, planning, creative ideas, committment and team work will do the job.
According to the Minister, the Summit is designed to address current and emerging issues in Basic education, including poor enrolement, foundational learning and numeracy, security and safety of schools, funding, research, capacity building and teacher professional development among others.
In his keynote address, the executive Governor of Akwa ibom state, Pastor Umo Eno said the country must return to the good old days where the necessary facilities for teaching and learning were provided for basic schools, including accommodation on school premises for teachers for effective supervision of school activities, adding that his administration would lead by example.
Umo noted that the summit marks a significant step towards revolutionalising the landscape of Basic education in Nigeria, ensure that stakeholders gain comprehensive insights into the nuances that define basic education in our Nation.
He reaffirmed the commitment of states to key into the policies and programmes of the Federal government, adding that the success of our endeavours hinges on the harmonisation and coordination of resources and activities in the subsector,reiterating that the future of our country lies in the hands of our children.