By Fodio Ahmed
The education crisis in Northern Nigeria has reached alarming proportions, with millions of children out of school and illiteracy rates soaring. We must take immediate action to address this crisis, and a private and public partnership led by the Federal Government is the way forward.
The federal government must lead the implementation of an ‘Emergency Education Liberalization of Northern Nigeria.’ This initiative should not only focus on reducing the number of out-of-school children and setting targets for illiteracy reduction but also on implementing a comprehensive strategy that leaves no stone unturned in achieving these goals.
To achieve this, a task force led by the President, with a prominent Northerner as Deputy 1 and a foreign expert as Deputy 2, should be established. This task force should collaborate with international organizations like UNESCO, the UN, the World Bank, and foreign governments like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Morocco.
Furthermore, local and international philanthropists, Northern business leaders like Dangote and BUA, and UN Deputy General Secretary Amina Mohamed should be involved in this initiative. The private sector should manage funds to ensure transparency and efficiency.
In addition, Northern governors and LGA chairmen should submit lists of schools and enrollment figures. At the same time, traditional rulers, Imams, Pastors, celebrities, musicians, and social media influencers should be engaged to promote education. Skills acquisition centers should be established, and technical colleges should receive more equipment.
Finally, I firmly believe this approach can make significant strides in addressing the education crisis in Northern Nigeria. The time for action is now, and we must work together to ensure that every child in the region has access to quality education.
Fodio Ahmed wrote via penfodioahmed@gmail.com.