Education Minister Alausa to Return Out-of-School Children in Border Communities Back to Classes
- The Federal Ministry of Education and the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) have partnered to tackle years of neglect in Nigeria’s over 3,000 border communities
- During a strategic meeting in Abuja, the education minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa and the BCDA executive secretary, Dr. Dax Alabo George-Kelly, unveiled new plans
- The collaboration will focus on school rehabilitation, Almajiri education, teacher deployment, and the provision of learning materials in hard-to-reach areas
Abuja, FCT - The Federal Ministry of Education has struck a strategic partnership with the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to address decades of neglect in Nigeria’s borderlands, home to an estimated 22 million children, many of whom are out of school.
Education minister Dr Tunji Alausa and the executive secretary of BCDA, Dr. Dax Alabo George-Kelly, met in Abuja on Wednesday, June 25, to lay the groundwork for the education intervention, which is aimed at transforming education, health, and development in over 3,000 border communities.
Source: Twitter
Over 3,000 border communities underserved - Alausa
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Alausa, who welcomed the BCDA delegation and set the tone for the collaboration, painted a stark picture of the border realities.
His words:
“Twenty-one states in Nigeria share borders with neighbouring countries such as Benin, Cameroon, and Niger. These land and coastal borders encompass over 3,000 communities that are unfortunately underserved, poverty-stricken, and experiencing population growth. Many of these communities are located in difficult-to-access terrains, further compounding their challenges.”
He added:
“In line with its mandate, the BCDA is working to provide these communities with essential services, including access to education, healthcare, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities.”
22m children estimated to live in border communities
Dr Alausa also highlighted the educational crisis affecting millions of children.
“Currently, over 22 million children are estimated to live in these border communities. Due to their remote and inaccessible locations, a significant number of these children are out of school," he said.
Tying the initiative to his six-point education agenda, Dr. Alausa declared:
“As part of our six-point agenda, particularly Point 3, which focuses on reducing the number of out-of-school children and reintegrating them into the education system, it is imperative that the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) strengthens its collaboration with the BCDA. This partnership will help avoid duplication of efforts and ensure that targeted interventions reach the communities most in need.”
He stressed the collective responsibility of both agencies.
“No man is an island; it is through collaboration that meaningful change can occur. Education is central to the growth and development of every sector of the economy.”
Dr. Alausa pledged alignment with BCDA’s strategies to boost the impact of government programmes, saying:
“Moving forward, the FME and its agencies will align closely with the BCDA on initiatives related to out-of-school children and Almajiri interventions, school rehabilitation, the provision of teachers, learning materials, and more.”
BCDA executive secretary reacts
In his remarks, the executive secretary of the BCDA, De George-Kelly, thanked the education minister and commended his commitment to improving the conditions and livelihoods of the border communities.
"We look forward to working together to transform learning environments and create lasting impact," he said.
Border communities education: Key steps to take
The meeting identified a list of concrete action steps, including:
- Tackling the out-of-school children crisis;
- Introducing sustainable Almajiri education models;
- Rehabilitating existing schools;
- Deploying qualified teachers to remote and underserved areas;
- Providing essential learning materials.
Both leaders expressed their commitment to developing a robust and measurable blueprint to guide implementation.
Dr. Alausa asserted:
“We are ready to put action to words. Every child in Nigeria deserves quality education, no matter where they are born or reside.”
Source: Twitter
Alausa pushes education overhaul with reforms
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the minister of education, Alausa, is rolling out a series of time‑bound reforms aimed at tightening school safety, overhauling vocational training and linking local colleges to overseas universities.
On Monday, June 16, minister of state for education Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad received a delegation from Britain’s Loughborough University to discuss joint programmes in science, technology and vocational education.
Two Transnational Education committees will test six partnership models for Nigerian universities, the ministry said.
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Source: Legit.ng
