The Nigerian government says it has reduced the number of out of school children from 10.1million since May 2020, down to 6,946,328million.
A total number of 3,153,672 children are now enrolled in schools, majorly in Northern Nigeria.
The government also stated that it recorded impressive school enrolment figures in 17 states of the federation where the programme; ‘Better Education Service Delivery for All’ BESDA, was being implemented.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, made this known in Abuja during the 2020 Annual Ministerial Briefing held in Abuja.
Adamu said full implementation of Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Programme AGILE, a programme secured under the World Bank facility of $500,000,000, will begin in Year 2021.
On harmonisation of school calendar and National Examinations orchestrated by the outbreak of Covid-19, Adamu revealed that a National Committee on the harmonisation of schools and Examination calendars will be constituted.
“There is need for us to harmonise our schools and examination calendars, be it state, federal or private schools,” he said.
“This is because at the end of the academic calendar year, children in primary schools who want to proceed to our unity colleges will have to write the National Common Entrance on the same day. Similarly, JAMB,WAEC, NECO and NABTEB will have one calendar for their examinations,” he said.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, emphasised that the Buhari led administration has focused on expansion of access to quality education and affordable healthcare.
Nneka Ukachukwu
