The House of Representatives Committee on Alternative Education is actively developing a framework aimed at facilitating the return of over 14 million out-of-school children to classrooms in the shortest time possible. Additionally, the committee is committed to lifting 16.5 million Nigerians out of poverty to support the efforts to bring these children back to school.
Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicates that poverty is most prevalent in the Northeast, with 71.86% of its population affected, followed by the Northwest at 64.84%, and the Northcentral at 42.70%. Other regions are the Southeast at 42.44%, the Southsouth at 21.28%, and the Southwest at 12.12%.
According to Chairman Almustapha Ibrahim Aliyu (APC, Sokoto), the committee’s intervention will reduce poverty in the following regions: Northeast by 4 million people, Northwest by 3.4 million people, Northcentral by 2.5 million, Southeast by 3 million, Southsouth by 2.1 million, and Southwest by 1.6 million.
Aliyu further emphasized that the framework will ensure that out-of-school children acquire relevant skills to become productive members of society. The House intervention aims to address key issues in public education, bridging gaps related to poverty and value.
He also highlighted that in collaboration with relevant government agencies, this intervention seeks to improve access to education for all Nigerian children in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-4), focusing on qualitative and inclusive education. This project is named the “Nigeria Mass Reduction of Out-of-School Children and Youth Project (NiMPROP)” and is planned to span four years.
Aliyu said: “It would significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children through non-formal accelerated education system and other alternative schooling programmes.”
The committee chairman announced that the House would collaborate with various government agencies, including the National Commission of Almajiri and out-of-school children, the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, and the National Commission for Nomadic Education. He mentioned that the committee had held multiple productive discussions with these agencies over the past week, receiving positive feedback.
Aliyu also highlighted that all the required preparations had been made to implement the intervention, and the House was ready to reconvene from its annual recess tomorrow.
