From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has started distributing new school uniforms to learners integrated into the education system through the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Project. This initiative aims to remove financial barriers to education and improve access for vulnerable children.
The event took place at LEA Primary School, Kawo, and was attended by government officials, development partners, community leaders, and beneficiaries.
Project Coordinator of ROOSC, Ezra Angai, said the intervention reaffirms the state’s commitment, along with its development partners, to ensuring that no child is denied access to quality education because of poverty or the lack of basic learning necessities.
“Our recent household mapping identified that the inability to afford essentials such as school uniforms and learning materials is the single greatest barrier keeping children out of school, making this intervention both timely and strategic,” Angai stated.
He explained that the distribution is happening simultaneously across the nine pilot local government areas where learners have been mainstreamed.
“This is not only happening here; across our nine pilot local governments, the same distribution is occurring. If you go to the school in Abagpa, the primary school in Abagpa, we are here in Kawo, and across the nine local governments, every school where learners have been mainstreamed, uniforms are being provided,” he said.
Angai disclosed that Kaduna State was the first in the country to conduct a comprehensive household mapping, visiting 360,000 households and identifying 187,000 out-of-school children.
According to him, the children were first enrolled in catch-up clubs within communities for three months before being mainstreamed into formal schools. “So far, 65 of these learners have been mainstreamed into those schools, and it is these children receiving uniforms today to ensure they join their peers without any shred of discrimination,” he added.
The ROOSC Project, he noted, aims to reach 100,000 out-of-school children in Kaduna State. “The project is well on course, surpassing its year-one target, and by the time we do enrollment in September and move over 20,000 of them from the catch-up clubs into the mainstream, we will have surpassed our year-two target,” Angai said.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Muhammad Lawal, Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, commended Governor Uba Sani for his strong political will in addressing the crisis of out-of-school children.
He said the legislature will continue to support policies and programs that expand access to education, noting that the uniform distribution shows the government is tackling both enrollment and retention challenges.
Also praising the Governor, Salisu Baba Lawal, Director of Planning, Ministry of Education, said Governor Uba Sani’s visionary leadership and investment in household mapping and catch-up clubs have created a clear pathway for thousands of children to return to classrooms.
He mentioned that the uniform distribution demonstrates that the administration is focused not only on enrollment but also on retention and on learners’ dignity.
Also applauding the effort, Isiaku Garba, Mai Unguwan Kawo, said the initiative has brought relief to parents in the community who previously struggled to provide school uniforms for their children.
He described Governor Uba Sani’s efforts as people-centered and impactful, noting that by addressing basic needs like uniforms, the government is restoring hope and encouraging more children to stay in school. He pledged the community’s continued support to ensure the success of the ROOSC project.
Representing Save the Children International, Daleen Saleh Shamaki, Media and Communications Coordinator, said the organization remains committed to ensuring that children in Kawo and across Kaduna receive adequate learning support.
“We appreciate the Kaduna State government for ensuring that we collaborate and achieve this milestone together. For Save the Children, it is our duty to ensure that these children are provided with learners’ kits, including school bags, so that no child is left behind,” she said.
Angai acknowledged the support of His Excellency, Governor Senator Uba Sani, CON, the Honorable Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, and the Chairman, House Committee on Education, *Hon. Muhammad Lawal*.
He also acknowledged the efforts of development partners supporting the ROOSC Project, including the Islamic Development Bank, Global Partnership for Education, Education Above All, Save the Children International, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and UNICEF.
The ROOSC Project is currently the only nationwide holistic out-of-school children program designed specifically to address this issue, with the Kaduna State Government and its partners working to bring more children into school and give them hope for a brighter future.
