20 million out of school children , FG’s ARC-P program aimed at tackling the problem,—Dr. Uwais,
-urges 830 youth facilitators, trained in Borno to own the program,
By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri
Worried by the alarming number of over 20 million out of school children in the country and the need to tackle the problem, the Federal Government through the At Children Program (ARC-P) in collaboration with the Borno state government have trained 830 youths facilitator who will in turn train 41,000 vulnerable and At Risk Children in the state.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the ARC P youth facilitation training program held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim College of Education, Maiduguri during the weekend, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investment and National Coordinator, ARC-P, Hajiya Maryam Uwais has called on the trained youth facilitators of the At Risks Children Program (ARC-P) to take ownership of the programme and help government in taking off the streets .about 20 million out of school children.
Hajiya Maryam Uwais urged the change youth facilitators to help these children to not only acquire western education but also acquire a skills that will help them in their lives.
“I also Want you to provide necessary data on your challenges, progress and areas that need improvement, as these will assist greatly . The Federal Government want an end to out of school children, because the figure is alarming”, Uwais added.
While declaring the 3 week training Closed,the Borno state Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum said the ARC- P program will greatly help in taking off the streets, the over 56,000 orphans of Boko Haram insurgency.
Represented by his Deputy, Hon Umar Kadafur said ” I want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the intervention, as this program is inline with my administration’s post insurgency rehabilitation, and resettlement efforts.”
He assured that the Borno state government will continue to partner with the Federal Government, international donors and Non governmental Organisations in changing lives of the returning displaced persons.
Governor Zulum urged the youths facilitators to step down the knowledge and skills acquired to the At Risk Children across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Also in her remarks, the Borno state First Lady, Dr Falmata Babagana Zulum commended the federal government for the ARC P program in the state which was aimed at taking off the streets out of school children in the country
The First Lady represented by the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Zuwaira Gambo said “this program will in no small measure assist in the ongoing resettlement and reintegration program of the Borno state government, The figure of over 56,000 orphans of Boko Haram insurgency in the state is alarming and a concerted and deliberate efforts like ARC need to be put in place to address the problem of out of school children in the country”.
She said the ARCP program has opened a windows of opportunities to over 56,000 children in the state as it will help integrating them back to the society and urged the youths facilitators to help the Federal government in taking the children out of the streets by dedicating themselves to their duties.
Earlier, the Borno state coordinator ARC P Hajiya Innah Galadima said It could be recalled that the training of 830 youths facilitators was commenced in this Hall on the 14th November, 2022, a journey of thousand miles begins with a step, today we here to close the training. ”
“These 830 youths were selected carefully across the 18 benefiting local government areas of the state, each facilitator is expected to train and mentor 50 children and they expected yo train over 41,000 children in the state”, Galadima added.
Also the state Commissioner for education, Engr Abba Wakilbe said the program will help in reducing 1.8 children that were out of school in Borno state, stressing that with the reduction of 41,000 children out of the streets, he is optimistic that it will greatly assist in changing the narrative.
