By Abubakar Baba Ahmad
About One hundred thousand Out of School Children OoSC are being targeted for enrollment in the 2026 Enrollment Drive Campaign EDC across the twenty local government areas of Bauchi State.
The figure represents fifty percent of the total number of Out of School Children OoSC of over two hundred thousand in the basic education sub-sector.
The Enrollment Drive Campaign is an annual activity embarked by education authorities in the state and local levels to encourage parents to enrollment school aged children into school after birth rate figure registration.
Speaking at the commencement of the exercise, the Director Social Mobilisation SUBEB Malam Nura Ahmad said after the employment of teachers by the government, the target is to ensure retention and completion of all the children enrolled into schools.
Nura Ahmad noted that all necessary teaching and learning materials have been provided in schools with books, shoes, bags and other items for every child enrolled in the 2026 campaign.
“This year we are targeting at least one hundred thousand after birth rate, which means after birth rate we want to add more of those that are Out of School Children at least about one hundred thousand into the school. Moreover our main focus this year is to ensure that the children are retained in school not only enrolment, they are enrolled and they retain up to completion”, he said.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman SUBEB Alhaji Abubakar Isa represented by the Permanent Commissioner two Alhaji Idris Hardawa said as part of efforts to ensure sustained enrolment, retention and completion among children through the inclusion of traditional institutions, the board embarked on advocacy visit to all the Emirates and Chiefdom across the state.
“As part of collaboration with UNICEF, we have embarked on advocacy visits to all the Emirates and Chiefdom in Bauchi state to seek for their fatherly advice and support in bringing vlback children to school and ensuring their retention and completion”, he disclosed.
On his part, the Northeast Zonal Director UBEC Alhaji Abdullahi Jarma, restated commitment of the commission to the infrastructure delivery in schools, continuous monitoring for effective teaching and learning as well as policy implementation to ensure massive enrolment, retention and completion of school among children.
“I hope from today parents and other critical stakeholders will ensure school aged children in all nooks and crannies of the state including local communities are enrolled in school to ensure a brighter future and proper upbringing “, Jarma appealed.
Also Speaking, UNICEF representative Malam Abdurrahman Ado who promised continued support in reaching the zero OoSC target in the state through consistent monitoring and awareness, said the fund will embark on statewide census to get the actual figure of children in and out of school for better policy formulation and implementation.
“We will visit all the 20 LGAs in the state to take the exact number of all the children enrolled in school for the 2026 academic session and at the end of it we will present the figures to the state government for the next line of action”, UNICEF assured.
In their separate remarks, the Galadiman Bauchi and Chairman Education Committee Bauchi LGA Surveyor Saídu Jahun, SUBEB Secretary Iliyasu Buba and SBMC Chairman Bauchi LGA Malam Isiaka Sambo called for grassroots mobilisation of school aged children to address anti-social behaviours among teenagers and youth.
The 2026 EDC with the theme: Bauchi SUBEB reaching every child – leaving no child behind, saw the enrolment and registration of new school-aged children, match-past, drama and poem presentations.