Nigeria nomadic education agency enrolls 682,000 students in schools

The National Commission for Nomadic Education said it has enrolled 682, 000 pupils into its nomadic schools across the country

The Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, Ibrahim Yamta, said on Thursday in Minna that the commission plans to enroll more pupils.

“On our record we have 682, 000 registered pupils in the nomadic schools across the country’’, Mr. Yamta said.

He said that the target was to reduce the number of out-of-school children across the country.

“Our target is to improve on this number and enroll over one million children by the end of 2013’’, he added.

Mr. Yamta said that the commission would partner with the Universal Basic Education Commission and the National Commission for Adult Education in order to meet the target. He also said that the commission had mobilised nomadic communities nationwide on the need to enroll their children in school.

“This is to ensure that the children acquire the basic skills to further their education in future’’, he added.

He, however, noted that poor funding and the problem of unqualified teachers were the greatest challenges facing the nomadic education programme.

Mr. Yamta appealed to the Federal Government to increase the funds allocated to the commission to enable it embark on research and impart skills to pupils. He commended the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Assembly for providing funds needed to implement various projects in 2012.

The commission had been riddled with corruption that led to the exit of its former Executive Secretary, Nafisatu Mohammed. Over N950 million appropriated to the commission from the presidency was mismanaged, a PREMIUM TIMES investigation had shown.

The misappropriation of funds meant for school structures by the commission led to several Fulani’s withdrawing their wards from the nomadic schools.