The United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF Bauchi office says it is providing support to three north eastern states to map out areas with high concentration of out of school children for an appropriate intervention to reduce the menace.
Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field office Mr Bhanu Pathak disclosed this in Bauchi at a media briefing to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Convention on the Rights of Children CRC and World Children’s Day.
Mr. Pathak who mentioned the three states as Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe said the move was in realization that majority of the over 10.5 million out of school children come from northern states, with Bauchi having the highest number.
He said in Bauchi state alone, UNICEF has supported the integration of modern education into Tsangaya and Islamiyya schools with a view to giving the children the opportunity to acquiring literacy and numeracy skills, without taking them off their search for Qur’anic knowledge.
The chief of UNICEF Bauchi office however domestication of the Child’s Right Act was the surest way to the realization of all children’s right, wondering why about 11 states mostly in the northern part of the country were yet to pass the legislation.
Consequently, Mr Pathak said UNICEF is planning to organize a national summit on children rights in the first quarter of next year with a view to getting stakeholders commitment to advance the course of children in the country.
Mr. Pathak explained that UNICEF had already organized youth talk across the country where feedback from children and young people were collected for presentation to stakeholders as the agenda of the Nigerian children during the summit.
He said in addition to the National Summit, UNICEF will also hold a get together with private sector partners and members of the creative community to win their support in the promotion of children’s rights in the country.
