Stakeholders in Bauchi State have endorsed the National Gender Policy on Education and agreed on clear steps to reduce the problem of out-of-school children and improve access to learning across the state.
The agreement came during a workshop in Bauchi, coordinated by Seun Justin Onarinde, Executive Director of Young Leaders Network (YLN). He explained that participants resolved to adapt, pass into law, and implement the policy in schools and communities.
One key decision was that the State Ministry of Education (SMoE) and YLN will lead the process of publishing and spreading the policy in both English and local languages so it reaches every school, stakeholder, and community.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) were also urged to include the policy in their proposals, strategies, and projects to make sure it lasts and stays effective.
Onarinde stressed that the policy must be put into action with budgets, work plans, and activities, otherwise it would remain only on paper.
He called on the Commissioner of Education and the ministry to brief the State Executive Council and the governor so that there would be political support and full ownership.
The workshop also recommended setting up a steering committee immediately and involving the media to raise awareness, inform the public, and ensure accountability.
Onarinde explained that the policy aims to change the future of Bauchi’s children, especially girls who are often left behind due to early marriage, teenage pregnancy, or lack of support.
He said investing in girls’ education is not charity but “smart economics, justice and common sense.”
He urged all stakeholders to be bold, inclusive, and practical in shaping the policy so that it is not just written on paper but reflected in classrooms and communities.
Earlier in his remarks, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Lawal Mohammed Rimin Zayam, said the policy matches the AGILE project already running in the state, which is designed to bring back out-of-school children and make sure they stay in school.
He described the collaboration as good and asked for the support of partners and stakeholders in carrying it out.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Bauchi, Musa Ibrahim Ardo, commended the policy as a major step to stop children from dropping out of school.
He assured that all private schools would follow the new policy and work with the Ministry of Education to sensitise schools on its provisions, especially for the girl child.
