By: Malam Mujitaba Ramalan
The Federal Government’s adoption of Kaduna State’s household mapping model as the national framework for tackling the challenge of out-of-school children is a landmark endorsement of our administration’s unwavering commitment to evidence-based governance and data-driven public policy.
Gov Uba Sani who stated this,also expressed delight that this significant decision was announced by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, during our meeting at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.
He maintained that recognising that effective public policy must be anchored on reliable data, Kaduna State moved beyond estimates by undertaking a comprehensive household mapping exercise to identify every out-of-school child, determine precisely where each child lives, and establish the households to which they belong.
According to him,this pioneering initiative has enabled the state to deploy targeted interventions with measurable impact, contributing to a reduction in the number of out-of-school children in Kaduna State from approximately 550,000 to fewer than 180,000. More importantly, it has ensured that scarce public resources are directed to the children and communities where they are needed most.
Governor Uba Sani also used the opportunity to commend His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his steadfast commitment to transforming education under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Governor also express his profound appreciation to the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, and the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, for their visionary leadership in adopting this innovative model for nationwide implementation.
He said “Kaduna State remains firmly committed to working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Bureau of Statistics and our development partners to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education”.
He added that “When sound data informs policy and guides investment, governments are better equipped to identify, enrol and retain every child in school. Together, we can build a more inclusive education system that leaves no child behind and secures a brighter future for our nation”.(Kada Times)
