Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari has restated his administration’s commitment to take off the almajiris roaming the streets, by enrolling them into the Integrated Quranic School system.
Masari made this known while flagging off the launch of a 333 million Naira Cash Transfer Programme.
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The cash transfer is meant for over 20,000 Out-of-School children, in collaboration with UNICEF, in Kafur, Mani and Safana Local Government Areas of Katsina State.
The inauguration of the cash transfer programme which is being funded by the Education Above All Foundation, EAA, of Qatar, under its Educate A Child Education Programme, and implemented by UNICEF is in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States.
The Cash Transfer Programme, which is in collaboration with the Katsina State Agency for Mass Literacy
aims at addressing the challenge of out-of-school children.
According to Governor Masari, he is impressed by the successes recorded through the different interventions by UNICEF, to ensure there is improved school enrollment, especially for the girl child.
He described the cash transfer as laudable, which will boost enrolment and retention of children in schools, across the state.
The Chief of UNICEF, Kano Field Office, Rahama Farah, who represented the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said the Cash Transfer Programme is designed to enable children, especially girls and Almajiris, go to school, and remain in school.
Hawkins said, a total of 333 Million Naira will be disbursed to 20,802 out-of-school children in Kafur, Mani and Safana Local Government Areas of Katsina State, through 10,557 female parents and caregivers.
According to him, the cash transfer programme will ensure that beneficiaries are enrolled and retained in school, including the Integrated Qur’anic Schools, lQS, and that they are provided with literacy and numeracy skills, linked to employability, and livelihood schemes.
While assuring the government of Katsina State of UNICEF’s continued partnership to deliver on the right to safe, inclusive, quality learning for every child, urged them to do more in increasing budgetary allocation to Education in the state.
Katsina state is currently having a total of 536,132 out-of-school children roaming the streets, a figure which UNICEF, through its various interventions is helping to reduce.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
