UNICEF trains 70 northern youth on child education advocacy

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) have mobilized about 70 youth from 12 in the north alongside the Federal Capital Territory for intensive training on advocacy for child education for national development.

Also co-sponsoring the initiative is the Department for International Development (DFID), the United Kingdom government department for administering overseas aid.

The 4-day event tagged: “Mobilizing Nigeria’s youth for increased access to safe, quality education for all especially girls” which ended on Thursday in Kano was attended by selected youth representatives from Adamawa, Kano, Niger, Sokoto and Kebbi states.

Others were from Zamfara, Bauchi, Kaduna, Gombe, Katsina, Adamawa, Plateau and Bayelsa states respectively.

In an opening remarks by HiLWA chairperson in Kano state, Prof. Aisha Abdul-Ismail emphasized the importance of child education, especially for girls stating that it remains the realistic panacea to a thriving secured society and therefore, demands the collective responsibility particularly youth advocacy towards policy-makers and stakeholders in the country.

UNICEF’s Education Specialist, Mrs. Azuka Menkiti while presenting the objectives of the workshop, added that the organization is worried about the future of the society with the number of out-of-school children, hence the unique initiatives which among others include youth engagement and advocacy as well as cash transfer programme presently operating in some states.

The workshop while extensively examining the predicament in translating the right to education to reality identified abject poverty, early marriages prevalent in the north, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, poor infrastructure, relevant and quality of teachers as hindrances militating against the right to education in the country.  

To address the identified problems, the workshop identified the use of advocacy, incentives and social safety net interventions, providing role models and hiring more female competent teachers.

Others are legislating and enforcing against child marriage, implementing CEDAW, UBE Act, Child Right Act, use all for education mechanism to achieve education for all as well as creating awareness to increase demand. Also, critically identified is attending to supply issues necessary for enrolment.

Dr. Ihebuzor, who was the lead resource person stressed in his paper presentation that education is a tool per excellence for national development, adding that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education for All (EFA), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Policy on Education and the Minister’s Strategy Plan on Education (MSP) all prominently highlighted the importance of education.

The training largely exposed participants to the positive roles and characteristics of youth-energy, dynamism, ability to efficiently serve as change agents by creating awareness, public enlightenment of citizens’ rights and obligations, building capacities among right holders and influencing laws, policies and actions, and essentially, monitoring of public resources and projects.