State governments have been enjoined to prioritise access to basic education for out-of-school children by developing blueprints to ensure that they are not left out and their childhood is not wasted.
This plea was made by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
According to a press statement released on Wednesday by the Head, Communications, OSSAP-SDGs Janet McDickson, Adefulire made the plea when she played host to the Gombe state governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in her office on Tuesday.
Adefullire said the huge number of out-of-school children roaming the streets in Nigeria has remained a huge challenge to both the attainment of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the overall development of the country.
This realisation, she said, prompted the Federal Government to develop a strategic blueprint to help move the children from streets to classrooms.
“Nigeria signed up to the sustainable development goals in 2015 and has remained committed to its full implementation. But achieving Goal 4 on quality and inclusive education will remain a mirage if we do not first tackle the menace of out of school children. So, we have developed a strategic blueprint and currently working with the Nigerian Governors Forum and in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian and the Ministry of Education to bring a lasting solution to this challenge.”
Adefulire, who expressed optimism that the efforts will bring about sustainable solutions to the problem pleaded with state governments and other stakeholders to prioritise education as “the real foundation for enduring development”.
In his response, Inuwa assured of the commitment of his administration to the attainment of SDGs by the 2030 target date; noting that, with the support of the OSSAP-SDGs, the state has been able to develop an integrated SDGs-based, 10-year development plan for Gombe.
Governor Yahaya added that the plan will further enable the state to avoid the pitfalls that were evident in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals by previous administrations, while fast-tracking all-round developments in the state.
