AMDF Galvanizes Support on Free Education for Girls in Kaduna State

AMDF Galvanizes Support on Free Education for Girls in Kaduna State

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna, North-West, NIGERIA

It would be recalled that on the 24th September 2018, the Kaduna state government declared free education for all female students in public secondary schools in the state.

Governor  El-Rufai in a tweet on Saturday September 22nd had explained the reason behind the new policy as;

“This is aimed at getting rid of the hindrances to girl-child education. The Free Basic education policy in the state for every child remains.”

The Africa Media Development Foundation, (AMDF) in its bid to contributing to the successful  implementation of the policy had during the week seek the support of media  executives to help chart the course forward.

Expressing concern, it however observed that the project, as  laudable as it is , there is no policy document and implementation framework to ensure its effective implementation and sustainability.

The Executive Director Africa Media Development Foundation, North-West Nigeria,  Mr. illiya Kure speaking  at a breakfast meeting  noted that the gains associated with educating the girl-child cannot be quantified.

The meeting he explained was meant to sensitize participants on the free and compulsory education for girls’ programme of Kaduna State Government and galvanize Support for AMDF in Advocating for Policy formulation on Free and compulsory Education for Girls in Kaduna State.

In the light of this, the foundation has tasked the media executives to as part of their corporate social responsibility support the advocacy for a policy document and implementation framework for free and compulsory education for girls in public secondary schools in the Kaduna State

To further enhance the successful implementation of the project, Kure enjoined media executives present to task their producers, presenters and reporters to leverage on their education and  current affairs programmes to drum support for a policy document and implementation framework for free education in the state.

Speaking, the Project Manager Mr. Benjamin Maigari said the project which seeks a policy document to back the free education for girls’ pronouncement by the state government will entail that girls in Kaduna state are not only enrolled in schools, but they are retained unto completion.

Expatiating  further.

The 2016-2020 Kaduna State Development Plan revealed that an estimated 37% of students drop out by year 6 of primary school, and only 23% of all female students’ complete school. But with a framework signed and implemented, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education predicts that the completion rate of female students in public secondary schools will increase from the current 23% to 53% and impact more than 224,000 girls in secondary schools across the state.

To this effect, AMDF is supporting Kaduna State Ministry of Education to close the gender gap in education in the State; a state with poor education outcomes, including low student attendance and high dropout rates.

Hence, Maigari also charged the participants to join AMDF and Kaduna State Government in the promotion of girl-child education, and also monitor the implementation of the policy once launched by the government for an improved education outcome in the state.

Contributing, the Programmes Manager, Freedom Radio, Mal. Zakari Aminu  lauded the effort of the organization in promoting girls’ education and pledged the Station’s support towards the success of the process. He also commended AMDF in building the capacity of journalists in Kaduna.

Adding his voice, the Acting General Manager, Liberty Radio and Television Mal. Abdulkadir Lere described the project as a laudable one.

Lere who pledged  the station’s commitment to support AMDF in its stride had however decried the non-existence of a policy to back the free education programme for girls in Kaduna as a setback.

The project: “Advocating for Policy Formulation and Adoption of Free and Compulsory Education for Girls in Public Secondary Schools in Kaduna State” is being implemented by the Africa Media Development Foundation, funding is provided by Rise Up; a program of the Public Health Institute, through funding from the Cummins Foundation between June 2019 and May 2020.