No fewer than 877 out-of-school children in Yobe State are back in the classroom after completing the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) and Tsangaya learning initiatives, in what officials have described as a major victory in the fight against out-of-school children in the state.
The children were formally mainstreamed into formal schools at a colourful transition ceremony held in Jakusko, where a total of 1,080 learners graduated from the programme facilitated by GHIV Africa with support from UNICEF and the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP II).
The transition ceremony, held in Jakusko, celebrated the completion of the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) and Tsangaya learning initiatives by 1,080 learners. The project, facilitated by GHIV Africa with support from UNICEF and the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP II), provides a critical bridge for children affected by conflict and other socio-economic barriers.
Out of the 1,080 learners who completed the programme, 877 are now transitioning directly into formal schools. Additionally, 150 learners have been enrolled in vocational and livelihood skills centres to secure their economic future, while 53 learners from Tsangaya centres have opted to continue their specialised Islamic education.
Yobe State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Abba Idris Adam, who was represented by the Ministry’s Director of Quality Assurance, Adamu Garba, lauded the intervention. He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to Governor Mai Mala Buni’s policy of universal education access, urging parents and community leaders to ensure that these children remain in school.
“Enrolment alone is not enough; we must ensure retention and completion,” noted Usman Mohammed Gwasko, Secretary of the Yobe State Agency for Mass Education, highlighting the need for sustained community participation