Besides, the groups are urging the state ministries of education and justice in Kano to prioritise the right of a child to education in their agenda to guarantee access regardless of sex, gender or social status in the society.
Addressing a press conference in Kano, Executive Programme Manager, LEDAP, Pamela Okoroigwe, regretted that there are over 13.5 million children in Nigeria who are unable to access free and quality basic education, with the Northeastern states having higher percentage of out-of-school children in the country.
The executive programme manager, who was represented by Barr. Maryam Ahmad, said LEDAP was embarking on campaign to raise awareness in Kano on the right of every child to free, compulsory, quality and basic education because of the population and peculiarity of the state in Nigeria.
Okoroigwe revealed that LEDAP had obtained a groundbreaking judgment in the case of LEDAP vs Federal Ministry of Education & Anor, which made the right of a child to free, compulsory and universal basic education an enforceable and Justifiable human right in the country.
She expressed worry that despite the constitutional provision millions of school age children are still roaming around.
While attributing part of the challenges to out-of-school children to insecurity, cultural and religious dispositions, as well as poor funding, she urged the state government to improve in the area of infrastructure, manpower and enabling environment conducive for teaching and learning.
Okoroigwe, who applauded government for implementing the free and compulsory education policy, reminded that public schools are still lacking major requirement that would facilitate quality and functional education system in the state.
“LEDAP in conjunction with Malala Fund is raising awareness on the right to free, compulsory and quality basic education in Nigeria. The project is aimed at providing solution to the low education enrollment and high rate of school drop out for children in Nigeria, and in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic; to mitigate its impact on the education of children in the state by ensuring that the Kano state government takes appropriate action to promote free and quality basic education for all, especially girls. The project is located in Adamawa, Bauchi, Kaduna and Kano states.
“LEDAP is calling on government as well as the ministries of education and justice of each states in the North, to prioritise right to education of the child in their agenda and to guarantee that no child in the state is denied access to free, basic and quality education on the basis of background, sex, location and so on, especially in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Government must bring back better by introducing gender responsive measures that will transform education system and address the barriers inhibiting girl child education in the state.
“LEDAP urges government to commit resources to education through increased budget allocation and funding so as to ensure that no child is denied access to free basic education by any school and to drastically reduce the number of out of school children in Nigeria.
“If this is done, there would be improved learning infrastructure, deployment and provision of incentives for qualified teachers and a massive enrolment of school children especially girls,” Okoroigwe said.
