By: John Bassey, Zamfara.
The Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board ZSUBEB, in collaboration with United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF convened a two-day State Dissemination Meeting on the 2024 Out-of-School Children (OOSC) Survey Findings to proffer the possibilty of giving every child access to quality, inclusive and equitable education in Zamfara State.
Comrade Ibrahim Musa Maizare the Public Relations officer to ZSUBEB made this known in a statement issued today to Journalists in Gusau.
From the statement, the meeting, held at the ZSUBEB Conference Hall, Gusau, from November 3rd to 4th, 2025.
Its brought together key education stakeholders including Local Government Chairmen, Education Secretaries, development partners, traditional and religious leaders, as well as civil society organizations.
In his words, the Executive Chairman of ZSUBEB, Professor Nasir Garba Anka (Makaman Sokoto Ta Kudu), reaffirmed the commitment of the Board and the State Government to ensuring that every child in Zamfara has access to quality, inclusive, and equitable basic education.
He noted that despite ongoing reforms and significant investments in the education sector, many children remain out of school due to insecurity, poverty, and socio-cultural barriers.
Professor Anka appreciated UNICEF for its technical support and partnership in conducting the 2024 OOSC survey, which provided reliable and disaggregated data to guide evidence-based policy formulation and targeted interventions.
He explained that, the dissemination meeting served as a platform to share, analyze, and validate the survey findings, while promoting ownership and active participation among stakeholders at both state and local government levels.
The two-day meeting featured presentations, group discussions, and strategy sessions aimed at identifying the key drivers of the out-of-school challenge and developing actionable roadmaps to reduce the number of out-of-school children across all Local Government Areas of the state.
At the end of the engagement, participants agreed on the need to strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration, enhance accountability mechanisms, and promote stronger community participation in improving school enrolment and retention across Zamfara State.
The dissemination meeting marks a significant milestone in the joint efforts of ZSUBEB and UNICEF to improve access to basic education and ensure that every child in Zamfara State has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.