‘Prevalence of out-of-school nomadic children calls for multifaceted approach’

The Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), Professor Bashir Usman, has said the prevalence of out-of-school children in Nigeria, especially among the nomadic groups calls for a multifaceted approach, especially with the rising insecurity and incessant clashes between herders and crop farmers.

He however said the commission intends to use the new radio station, Radio Zamanu International, to promote peace between herders and their crop farming neighbours, starting from Gombe, Kano, Oyo and Plateau.

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He spoke at the opening ceremony of a 5-day training workshop for staff of the 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, yesterday, in Kaduna.

Represented by the Director, Quality Assurance, Mr. Akin Akinyosoye, the ES said, “We shall use the radio to vigorously campaign for improved enrollment, retention, transition and progression of nomadic children in their educational careers through various strategies of radio programming.”

In a goodwill message, the Kaduna Zonal Director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Malam Buhari Awwalu, who was represented by the General Manager of Karama Radio, Kaduna, Malam AbdulRahman Nuhu Bayero, said no number of military bullets and bombs can stop the security challenges, especially banditry bedevilling Nigeria.

He said only education of the excluded groups like the nomads will address the challenges, and identified the failure of the Fulani nomads as being responsible for the current challenge of banditry.

Also speaking at the event, the HoD, Social Mobilization and Women Development, NCNE, Dr. Fidelis Idoko, said with a license to operate Radio Zamanu International, the commission is better equipped to provide quality tuition to its targeted group via the radio technology.