Following the devastating effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bauchi state government has been tasked to increase access to education for children of the state by ensuring that it takes appropriate action to promote free and quality basic education for all, especially girls.
The Executive Programmes Manager of Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) Pamela Okoroigwe through her representative, Idris Abdullahi made the call on Wednesday during an awareness campaign for children’s education in Bauchi.
“The emergence of the novel Covid-19 pandemic has further put a strain on child education. It is a known fact that schools in Nigeria remained closed throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. This situation has increased the number of children especially girls who are able to access fire, compulsory, quality and basic education
“Against this backdrop, LEDAP in conjunction with Malala Fund is raising awareness on the right to free, compulsory and quality basic education in Nigeria. The project is aimed at providing solutions to the low education enrollment and high rate of school dropout for children in Nigeria.
“In the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bauchi state government must take appropriate action to promote free and quality basic education for all, especially girls. The project is located in Adamawa, Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano States.
“LEDAP, therefore, calls on the government as well as the ministries of education and justice of each state, to prioritize the right to education of the child in their agenda and to guarantee that no child in the state is denied access to free, basic and quality education on the basis of background, sex, location etc, especially in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said in a statement.
LEPAD further said that government must do better by introducing gender-responsive measures that will transform the education system and address the barriers inhibiting girl child education in the state.
It also urged the government to commit resources to education through increased budget allocation and funding so as to ensure that no child is denied access to free basic education by any school and to drastically reduce the number of out of school
children in Nigeria.
