UNICEF, on Thursday, engaged media executives at a roundtable in Zaria, Kaduna State, to amplify and advocate increased enrollment and retention of children in school.
The engagement, which attracted media chiefs from various organisations, was part of efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, Social and Behavioral Change Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, said that the roundtable was to raise awareness on out-of-school children, its causes and the need for increased investment in education.
Mohammed said part of the priority of the country programme of UNICEF was to reduce out-of-school children to the barest minimum.
“The target and end result of this meeting is to ensure that every Nigerian kid is enrolled in school and the meeting also wants to ensure that those that are in the schools are retained.
“This is to ensure sustainable growth of the country,’’ he said.
Mohammed said that UNICEF’s plan was to ensure that out-of-school children were completely reduced in its next country programme.
He appealed to the participants to propagate the gospel of reducing out- of-school children to the key stakeholders in the sector.
Mohammed also tasked the participants on the drive to achieve open defecation- free communities and ensure that children did not miss immunisation.
He said that another vital area of support was to ensure that birth registration of children was sustained, and malnutrition challenges overcome.
Mohammed said that UNICEF would continue to partner with the government technically to complement funding for education and health.
“In the area of funding gaps, UNICEF would continue to advocate the betterment of children in these areas across Nigeria,’’ he said.
Malam Salisu Lawal, Director, Planning, Ministry of Education, Kaduna State said the state government was recording success in increasing the enrollment and retention of children in schools.
He, however, said that there were some challenges still impeding the education of children in the state.
Mohammed said the state still had many children who were not enrolled, while poverty and the non-completion of school by some students were also issues.
The director said that the ministry was working toward addressing these challenges.
“Part of the aim of this workshop is to engage the media so that they can understand our progress and challenges, to enable us to collectively subscribe to addressing the challenges,’’ he said.
Alhaji Hamisu Abubakar, Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Kaduna State Office, said that the media has a critical role to play in enhancing child’s rights initiatives, promoting education and reducing out-of-school children.
The director said that the meeting was to raise awareness towards tackling the alarming indices of out-of- school children in Nigeria.
A participant, Bashir Rabe-Mani, Zonal Manager, NAN Kaduna Zone, restated the commitment of the agency to projecting most of the issues raised in its reportage.
He said that NAN already had dedicated desks for reporting health and gender, education, agriculture and environmental issues, among others.
He commended UNICEF for gathering the media executives to brainstorm to bolster the future of the Nigerian child.
Rabe-Mani said that the workshop would build their capacity, strengthen networking and contribute to national development
