By Mahmud Gambo Sani
The Adamawa State Government has formally adopted the “Adamawa State Guidelines on Re-Entry to Education for Married and Pregnant Adolescents” as part of efforts to improve access to education for adolescent girls across the state.
A statement signed by Malama Hassana Shuaibu, Senior Programme Officer of ACE Charity, and made available to The Triumph in Kano, described the adoption as a major policy step toward promoting inclusive education in the state.
According to the statement, the guidelines were formally adopted in Yola by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Umar Garba Pella, on behalf of the state government.
The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that no girl is permanently excluded from education due to pregnancy, marriage, or other related circumstances.
The statement noted that the development of the re-entry guidelines was supported by ACE Charity and funded by the Malala Fund.
It added that the guidelines were developed through a broad consultative process involving education stakeholders, child protection actors, development partners, and adolescent girls.
“The guidelines provide a structured framework for supporting married, pregnant, divorced, widowed teenage mothers, and out-of-school adolescent girls to either remain in or return to formal and non-formal education pathways,” the statement said.
Speaking at the event, stakeholders observed that adolescent pregnancy and child marriage remain major barriers to girls’ education in the state, stressing the need for coordinated and system-wide responses to address the challenges.
In a significant policy commitment, the Ministry of Education also pledged to integrate the implementation of the guidelines into the 2027 state education budget.
The ministry said the budgetary provision would ensure adequate funding for key components such as school re-entry support systems, capacity building, and community sensitisation programmes.
Participants at the event welcomed the adoption of the guidelines, describing it as a landmark step toward strengthening gender-responsive education policies in Adamawa State.
They, however, stressed that effective implementation would be critical to improving school retention and learning outcomes for adolescent girls.
The guidelines are expected to strengthen coordination among schools, education authorities, child protection systems, health services, and community structures to ensure a more supportive and consistent re-entry process for affected girls.
The state government reiterated its commitment to inclusive education and ensuring that every girl in the state has the opportunity to complete her education and realise her full potential.
