Nomadic Commission Boss Calls for a Multi-faceted Approach to Out-of-school Children
By: Femi Mustapha
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education, NCNE, Prof. Bashir Usman has called Multi-faceted approach to tackle out-of-school Children in Nigeria, especially among the Nomadic groups to curb the rising insecurity and incessant clashes between the herders/core farmers.
He stated while giving his keynote address at the opening ceremony of a 5-Day Training Workshop for Staff of National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) on Radio Production for the Take-off of Radio Zamanu International, which is aimed at educating the nomads across the country.
Prof. Bashir said in view of this, the commission intends to use its new radio station, Radio Zamanu, to promote peace between the herders and their farming neighbours starting from Gombe, Kano, Oyo and Plateau states.
According to him, “We shall use the radio vigorously campaign for improved enrollment, retention, transition and progression of nomadic children in their educational careers through various strategies of radio programming,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the NCNE’s HoD Social Mobilization and Women Development, Dr. Fidelis Idoko said, with a license to operate the Radio Zamanu International, the Commission is better equipped to provide quality tuition to its targeted group via the radio technology.
In his opening remark, the Kaduna Zonal Director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Mal. Buhari Awwalu, has said that no amount military bullets and bombs can stop the security challenges, especially banditry bedeviling Nigeria.
He said only education of the excluded groups like the nomads will address the challenges, as he identified the failure of the Fulani Nomads as being responsible for the current challenge of banditry.
Represented by the General Manager of Karama Radio, Kaduna, Mal. AbdulRahman Nuhu Bayero, the FRCN boss, however, called for improved funding and equipment for the Nomadic Education Commission, to enable it to properly educate the nomads and bring an end to banditry.
According to him, “Nomadic education is key to peace of this country. We need education to survive. If this commission is properly equipped to handle the education of nomads, we will not be facing the spate of insecurity we are facing today.
“We need to educate our nomads and the less privileged in the society and also provide them with a source of livelihood, so that the life we continue to develop. Bullets and bombs will not solve the problems of insecurity.
“There is therefore need for the Federal Government and the international agencies to look inward and find ways of proper funding and strengthening of the commission to achieve peace, security and stability in the country,” he said.
