Nigeria currently has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world with an estimated number of 13.2 million, a 2018 survey conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicates.
The Nigerian government has reiterated its commitment to addressing the plight of out-of-school children and other vulnerable young people in Nigeria.
The Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Maryam Uwais, said this on Thursday during the closing ceremony of a 3-week capacity-building training programme for 649 ARC-P youth facilitators in Kaduna State.
She said the youth facilitators are chosen from the 23 Local Government Areas in the state.
The details of the event were sent in a press statement issued by her media aide, Justice Bibiye, on Sunday.
Mrs Uwais, who is the facilitator of the At-Risk-Children Programme ARC-P, a Federal Government initiative under the auspices of the Office of the Vice President, said the programme was critical for a secured and sustainable future for underserved children and vulnerable youth in Nigeria.
She explained that the programme is in line with ARC-P's implementation strategy designed to empower the youth facilitators with the necessary knowledge, skills and wherewithal that they need to effectively engage, empower and nurture the primary beneficiaries of the scheme.
Nigeria currently has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world with an estimated number of 13.2 million, a 2018 survey conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicates.
Most of these children are in Nigeria's northern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, where Boko Haram hasndisrupted academic activities.
Earlier this month, PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation on how school children, bear the brunt of the ongoing insecurity crises in Benue State, Nigeria's middle belt region.
The report unearthed how attacks by terror armed groups, particularly in the communities of Tior-Tyu in Tarkar, Logo Kwande, Gwer-West, Agatu and other local government areas of the state as a result of the endless bloodletting, have forced thousands of young people and vulnerable youth and children in the communities across the states to seek refuge at internally displaced person camps.
'Facilitators should be mentors'
According to the presidential aide, having completed the 3-week intensive capacity building Programme, the facilitators will be assigned a minimum of 50 vulnerable children whom they are expected to groom and mentor using the knowledge gained during the capacity building programme.
She noted that the facilitators are expected to conduct basic monitoring and evaluation of activities with the assigned wards and give periodic reports to the implementation team.
Mrs Uwais also reminded the facilitators that they were expected to obtain parental and guardian consent for each of the primary beneficiaries, before proceeding with the training, mentoring and nurturing that they have been prepared for.
The aide who underscored the importance of ARC-P as a critical human capital development programme of the Federal Government tasked the graduands to stay focused on the objectives of ARC-P as they proceed to the field to carry out their primary assignments.
"With the conclusion of the 3-week exercise for Youth Facilitators, Kaduna has become the second state, after Gombe, to commence the implementation of the At-Risk Children Programme.
"The past couple of weeks saw the youth facilitators trained and equipped by resource persons from various Federal and State governments, as well as developmental partners including UNICEF, UNODC, UBEC, Legal Aid Council, NPHCDA, National Eye Centre, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Office of the SDGs, Resource and Support Hub, and more, who conducted numerous training sessions, including ICT, Renewable Energy, Photography and Videography, Health and Nutrition, Leatherworks, Catering, and Building.
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"Others include PoP, Tiling & Interlocks, Welding and Fabrication, Agriculture, as well as automobile maintenance training facilitated by PAN Nigeria," Mrs Uwais said.
Meanwhile, the deputy governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe, commended the Federal Government for embracing the ARC-P, saying the initiative is in line with the poverty reduction strategy of the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai administration in Kaduna State.
"Kaduna State under Mallam Nasir El-Rufai believes that only vibrant, skilled and knowledgeable cooperation can move Kaduna and, indeed, Nigeria forward.
"This is why this government has paid a lot of attention to human capital development. We are pursuing policies and programmes that will make Kaduna State residents physically and mentally healthier and focus on providing free and compulsory basic education to all children.
"We are providing skills through technical and vocational education, especially to our young ones," the deputy governor added.
