Kaduna Flags Off “Back to School” Campaign to Tackle Out-of-School Children Crisis

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has officially launched a robust community sensitization and education drive aimed at addressing the lingering problem of out-of-school children, particularly in Northern Nigeria. The initiative is part of the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project, a four-year program that targets the enrollment of 200,000 out-of-school children across the state.

The campaign flagged off at Ungwan Shanu community in Kaduna North Local Government Area, with a strong turnout of stakeholders including traditional leaders, religious groups, community elders, and development partners. 

The project is being implemented through the Kaduna State Ministry of Education’s Project Management Unit, in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank, Global Partnership for Education, Education Above All, Save the Children, and UNICEF.

According to Ezra Angie, the ROOSC Project Coordinator in Kaduna State, the project is a multi-pronged intervention designed to make quality education accessible to all children regardless of background through both formal and non-formal education systems.

“As part of the project, 102 new schools will be built and 170 existing ones including learning centers will be renovated. The initiative also includes a strong advocacy component, such as the Back to School Campaign, to raise awareness on the value of education,” Angie stated.

A key feature of the campaign is the Catch-Up Program, a nine-month remedial education initiative aimed at children who have never been enrolled or who dropped out of school. It offers foundational literacy, numeracy, and life skills to help reintegrate these children into mainstream education or vocational training.

During a community engagement in Ungwan Shanu, one of the identified high-burden areas for out-of-school children, local support was overwhelmingly positive. Traditional heads and elders pledged their full support for the campaign.

“Our reception was heartwarming. The traditional head welcomed us, elders spoke, and there was a clear consensus; education is vital, and children must return to school,” said a campaign representative.

The campaign was backed by a strong coalition of stakeholders, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), School Management Officers (SMOs), the Kaduna State Disability Board, and the Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM).

Kabir Lawal, Director of the Social Mobilization Department at SUBEB, emphasized that the campaign will be a recurring activity embedded in the state’s education budget.

“In our annual budget, we have made provisions for this type of campaign, and it will now be conducted at the beginning of every academic session,” Lawal revealed.

“Beyond this, we are training School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and deploying Social Mobilization Officers to intensify grassroots advocacy across communities.”

Mbursa Emmanuel, the ROOSC Project Director at Save the Children Kaduna, described the Back to Learning Campaign as a success, noting that it was “largely led by the government” and well received by the communities.

“We’re very pleased with the overwhelming community support. The village head and other community leaders pledged to accommodate and support efforts to ensure children return to school,” Emmanuel said.

However, Emmanuel noted that livelihood support for families, a key barrier to school attendance, is not currently covered under the project but said discussions are ongoing with the government and partners to explore solutions.

“These things take time and require patience, but we are hopeful that, with continued engagement, more support will come,” he added.

“This project does not currently include a livelihood component, but we’ve had extensive talks with government actors to see how support from other organizations can be mobilized.

“From what we’ve seen so far, the government is committed, and we believe more gaps will be addressed as the project unfolds,” Mbursa explained.

In his address, Alhaji Nura Ibrahim, Village Head of Ungwan Shanu, echoed the need for government to take more decisive action against poverty, one of the root causes of educational exclusion.

“Many parents simply can’t afford to send their children to school. I help where I can, even children who are not mine because we all rise or fall together,” he said. 

“But the government must invest more. If you can’t allocate part of your resources to improving lives, what are you governing?” he asked.

He warned that uneducated children are at risk of becoming threats to society due to idleness and exposure to negative influences.

“If a child can’t afford to write NECO exams, they drop out. Then they roam the streets and get into trouble. We need real support-livelihoods, vocational training, fee waivers so our children have a future,” he added.

He reaffirmed the community’s willingness to support the initiative but emphasized that such efforts must be matched with structural support from the government to ensure sustainability.

Kaduna’s ROOSC project is part of a broader effort to make education inclusive and equitable, particularly in Northern Nigeria where out-of-school rates remain high. With the combined efforts of government, development partners, and community leaders, the state is taking bold steps to ensure no child is left behind.