UNICEF to meet stakeholders, traditional rulers on Out- of School Children

Mariam Sanni, Abuja

In a bid to reduce the number of out- of – school children, The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, the sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, and the Universal Basic Education Commission are seeking the support of traditional rulers in Northern Nigeria to increase the number of children accessing education in the region.
In a two day conference of stakeholders from the two critical zones in northern Nigeria, North West and North East – key stakeholdrs rulers, decision –makers , religious leaders and legislators will brainstorm on the challenges and obstacles to getting children in schools , and decide on actions they can take to increase the number of children accessing education in northern Nigeria.
In the conference which will take place in Kaduna from 10-11october, 2018 the final agenda for Action will be endorsed by the two chairmen of the conference – the sultan of Sokoto for the North-west zone and the Shehu of Borno for the North –East zone.
The conference will seek the commitment of traditional leaders in northern Nigeria to support mass sensitization campaigns at all levels to increase demand for access to education and quality learning.
It is also aims to extracts from key stakeholders and participants a commitment to ensuring an improved supply of infrastructure, teachers and materials to help ensure equitable access to quality learning for all children in northern Nigeria, and increases enrolment.
While addressing Pressmen at the a Pre –Conference briefing, held in Abuja, UNICEF Chief of Education Nigeria, Terry Durnian has reiterated that the mandate of UNICEF is to ensure that ensure the adequate right of every child .
According to him, ‘’ In UNICEF our mandate is looking at the right to the child, the whole right that the child needs to develop through wellbeing to become an active citizens in today in Nigeria, and this include the right to education.
He stressed that more than 10m children in Nigeria has not been able to access this right, noting that these children have been deprived of a better future without receiving the skills they need.
He said that the issues require agencies and organization to form a partnership that can really help in building the future of Nigeria children.