UNICEF, Benue target 50,000 out-of-school children in two-year education drive

By Tolu Temidire

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and the Benue State Government have unveiled a two-year implementation plan to enrol more than 50,000 out-of-school children into the formal education system.

The initiative, under Project BRACE-UP, Building Rights to Access and Compulsory Education for Un-enrolled Pupils, was unveiled at the headquarters of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Makurdi, alongside the flag-off of the distribution of teaching and learning materials and sporting equipment to schools across the state.

Speaking at the event, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, said the programme was designed to provide children with the tools, opportunities and support needed to return to school, remain in school and build better futures.

Chiluwe said UNICEF, with funding support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, SIDA, had provided 400 School-in-a-Box kits containing notebooks, writing materials and teaching aids, which would benefit thousands of pupils across the state.

She added that UNICEF was also providing 330 tablets to teachers who had earlier received digital literacy training, noting that the devices would support the Nigerian Learning Passport and expand access to digital learning opportunities in schools.

According to her, “The BRACE-UP Implementation Plan provides a clear roadmap to enrol more than 50,000 un-enrolled children over the next two years, while strengthening community mobilisation, teacher support, alternative learning pathways, data systems and accountability for results.”

The UNICEF Chief commended the Benue State Government and SUBEB for prioritising children's education, urging teachers, parents, traditional and religious leaders, communities and development partners to support the successful implementation of the programme.

Flagging off the distribution and unveiling the implementation plan on behalf of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Deputy Governor Dr Sam Ode said the administration had made education, particularly the education of children affected by poverty, insecurity and displacement, a major priority.

Ode said Project BRACE-UP demonstrated the government’s commitment to ensuring that no school-age child was left out of the education system, adding that the implementation plan would focus on eight key areas, including teacher and stakeholder capacity building, community and parental mobilisation, data-driven mapping and enrolment of out-of-school children, outreach campaigns, monitoring and quality assurance, non-formal learning pathways and improved school infrastructure.

He said the state government was committing hundreds of millions of naira to the project, stressing that “no amount spent on the future of a Benue child is ever too much.”

The Deputy Governor also flagged off the distribution of the 400 School-in-a-Box kits and sporting equipment to schools across the three senatorial districts, charging teachers and headteachers to safeguard the materials and ensure that they were used for their intended purposes.

Earlier, the Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Dr Grace Adagba, said the interventions reflected Governor Alia’s commitment to transforming basic education through strategic partnerships and sustained investment.

Adagba disclosed that 124 schools would receive sporting equipment for football, volleyball, handball, badminton, table tennis, athletics, chess and Ayo.

On the implementation plan, she said UNICEF sponsored its production and that it covered eight thematic areas aimed at tackling the problem of out-of-school children in Benue State.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr Margaret Adamu, commended UNICEF for its interventions, saying, “education defines the life of every child.”

The Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Education, Elias Audu, and the UBEC State Coordinator, Mr Baba Emmanuel, praised the collaboration among the state government, SUBEB, UNICEF and UBEC, saying sustained investment in education had contributed to increased school enrolment across the state.