Tinubu to mop up over 20million out-of-school children, upgrade educational standard

…NECO commences building of six zonal offices nationwide

The minister of State, federal ministry of education prof Tanko Yusuf Sununu said that the ministry is set to commence a new project implementation plan in tendon with the president Bola Tinubu’s priority on education and out of school children.

The minister unveiled this at the symbolic ground-breaking foundation laying ceremony of the National Examination Council, NECO state offices in Lafia.

Prof Tanko Yusuf while giving his remark disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has granted an approval for the federal ministry of education to implement a project call DOTS, which is aimed at improving quality education and make education in the country to be all inclusive.

“The “D” stand for data repository. This will start with a data census and when concluded will produce reliable, accurate, reproducible data bank. This data will help in planning, resources distribution monitoring and evaluation of progress of education in Nigeria.

The minister disclosed that the data will capture students from all stages of education starting from the kindergarten, primary, secondary as well as Tartary schools, that are owned by private and the government.

He stated also that relevant and approved bodies would be used to implement the project to help generate the data.

“The “O” stands for the menace of Out of school children. The over 20 million out of school children in the country represent a critical situation that must be addressed”, the minister said.

He noted that the Out-of -school children represent a thematic area in the eight point agenda of the Tinubu administration with priority focus on social welfare and education.

He however maintained that if deliberate steps is not taken to address the over 20 million out of school children in the country, miscreants can take advantage of them to perpetrate criminality that will turn the country upside down.

“If Nigeria will take it proper place in the committee of nations, those over 20 million out of school children must be returned back to school, given proper education and train them with skills that they can stand on their own and in the near future transform themselves into employer and provider of labour.

The minister assured that the actions are doable because Tinubu administration has all the political will to ensure the implementation and readiness to allocate resources for the full implementation of the project.

“The “T” stand for teachers welfare, capacity building and teachers dignity. The aim is to restore the teaching profession to its known glory. That also means that the teaching profession like any other profession must be certified with all qualifications.

“The last “S” stand for Skills which is relevant to the need of today. Any country that has progressed today it is because of the three characters of knowledge,moral standard and the skills that are relevant to the time in which we are.

The minister reiterated that the youths need to be given adequate skills. He noted that if Nigerians doctors are removed from American hospitals, their system will collapse because they are the pillars of their hospitals.

In a welcome remarks governor Abdullahi Sule, who was represented by permanent Secretary ministry of education Mr. Muhammad Sani Bala, assured the Minister of his administration’s commitment towards quality education to citizens of the state.

Earlier in a welcome addressed Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, the registrar/ chief executive, national examinations council NECO said since his assumption in office he had embarked on a comprehensive assessment of NECO’s existing facilities nationwide.

Wushishi disclosed that there was a pressing need for infrastructure upgrades, adding that many state offices operate on rented apartment and are often under equipped, which has created a gap.

He also explained that the new state offices in Abia , Jigawa, River, Sokoto and Taraba along with the edifice about to be erected in Lafia would serve as beacons of excellence in administration of examinations in Nigeria.

The ground breaking and foundation laying ceremony was simultaneously held in six other states with each representing the zones. They are River, Sokoto, Abia Jigawa, Lagos and Taraba.