UNICEF Flags Off Training for SBMCs to Support Return of 200,000 Out-of-School Children

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday flagged off a major training program aimed at strengthening community participation in basic education and reintegrating over 200,000 out-of-school children.

The initiative is part of the state’s Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project targeting 92 State Mobilization Officers (SMOs), who will in turn cascade the knowledge to 8,730 members of School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) across the 23 LGAs in the State.

Speaking at the flag-off of the training, Mubarak Muhammad, Ag. Executive Chairman, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), emphasized government’s commitment to human capital development. 

“That’s why this training is being carried out under the Reaching Out-of-School Children initiative, in partnership with UNICEF,” he said.

According to him, “We believe that once we equip our people with the necessary skills, we are building capacity that will significantly improve basic education in Kaduna State and SBMCs are key to bridging the gap between the government and the communities.”

Mubarak, explained that the project aims to train 8,730 SBMC members in areas such as school leadership, communication, and resource mobilization, with a particular focus on encouraging communities to help bring children back to school.

Ezra Angai, Project Coordinator of the ROOSC Project, while providing more detail on the scope of the program, said “This project is designed to improve access to education for children who are currently out of school.

“Under the ROOSC project, the state government plans to build 102 new schools and renovate 170 existing ones, including learning centers. The project also includes teacher training and overall education system strengthening.”

Angai added “SBMC are at the heart of this process. They are the sustainability plan of the project because they are rooted in the communities and are directly involved in school management.

“Our vision is to see communities take responsibility for their schools, ensuring that children not only return to school but also stay in school.”

Bala Dada, Education Officer with UNICEF in the Kaduna Field Office, described the training as a crucial part of the overall project strategy.

“These master trainers will go on to train 8,730 SBMC members. “These members are part of our efforts to bring at least 200,000 out-of-school children back into classrooms and ensure they have access to quality, safe education,” he said. 

Bala acknowledged the critical support of development partners including the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Save the Children, and the Kaduna State Government.

“Our partnership extends technical expertise, funding, and monitoring support, while the government provides the policy backing and personnel to drive change on the ground.

“This four-year intervention will strengthen Kaduna’s education system by improving data-driven planning and community engagement,” he noted.

“This initiative is an example of the strong partnership between Kaduna State Government, IsDB, GPE, SCI, UNICEF. Through our collaboration, we leverage community structures and government support to tackle the root causes of children being out of school, whether it’s poverty, insecurity, or lack of awareness.

“This training strengthens the community structures that will be instrumental in achieving the goals of the ROOSC project.

“SBMCs are the most powerful community structures we have to reduce the numbers of out-of-school children. When communities take ownership of their schools, more children will enroll and stay in school,” he added.

With strong institutional backing and community involvement, the Kaduna State Government and its partners hope to significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children and improve the quality of basic education across the state.