From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government in partnership with Plan International Nigeria have vowed to champion the cause of the Almajiri system to reflect current reality globally and Nigeria in particular.
Rising from Almajiri and out of out-of-school children advocacy, the critical stakeholders meeting resolved to ensure an inclusive Tsangaya or Almajiri reforms on Education, the phenomenon which is bedevilling the entire North West States of Nigeria.
The State Commissioner Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Balarabe Musa Kadadi gave the assurance during an Advocacy and Influencing engagement with relevant stakeholders on gender-responsive and inclusive education planning and tsangaya reformation held in the conference room of the ministry on Friday.
Kadadi who was represented by the director budget of the ministry, Buhari Umar Musheshe thanked Plan International and Save The Child Initiative (STCI) for their effort toward boosting all-inclusive education in the state.
The commissioner said the state government attached greater importance to inclusive and tsangaya system of education aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children.
He reiterated the effort of the state government to galvanise support in championing the development of the state, especially in education.
According to him, the issue of the Tsangaya or Almajiri system has been the bedevilling of the educational set-up of not only Sokoto State but the entire North West in general.
“The government is particularly concerned about this initiative geared toward addressing the out-of-school children’s challenges”.
He promised that the state government would do everything possible in partnership with Plan International to champion the cause of the Almajiri system to reflect the current reality globally and Nigeria in particular.
He said the state government is ready and looking for partners beyond Plan International that are willing to join hands in making the programme a reality.
While expressing hope that the outcome of the stakeholder’s meeting would lead to the next level of action on both sides of the partners and state government.
“The meeting was timely as the state government is presently reviewing its last year’s budget and planning for the 2025 budget and assured that all the necessary realistic and results-based situation activities resolved during the meeting will be mainstream into 2025 budget proposals”.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer STCI, Nigeria Abdulganiyu Abubakar said they were presenting their scorecard to the ministry of their project implementation with the Plan International based on enhancing education for all in Northern Nigeria.
This project can engage and enable society to contribute toward enhancing education for all in Sokoto and Adamawa State.
“In the last one and half years, we had an implementation of activities across the state and we are here today to present key advocacy issues to some key ministries that include education, state universal education board, women’s affairs, religious Affairs and that budget and economic planning so that together we can plan and have inclusive gender-based budgeting for the development of education in Sokoto State”.
The Director of International Cooperation, of the ministry, Musa Muhammad Wamakko thanks the entire stakeholders that participated in the meeting and assured partnership with any organisation wishing to contribute to the development of the state.