Gombe State First Lady, Asma’u Inuwa Yahaya, on Monday launched a free registration programme for children in Gombe Local Government Area, as part of efforts to address the state’s alarming number of out-of-school children.
Official records show that Gombe has about 787,619 out-of-school children out of its estimated four million residents. In response, the state government—through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and UNICEF—has rolled out an enrolment drive campaign to cut the figure by half before 2030.
The initiative covers free registration and provision of school materials for children across all 11 local government areas of the state.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the First Lady appealed to parents to embrace the programme and ensure their children are enrolled. She emphasized that Governor Inuwa Yahaya remains committed to promoting child welfare through education, healthcare, and nutrition.
Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Babaji Babadidi, explained that the campaign was designed not only to boost enrolment but also to encourage behavioural change that supports retention, completion, and smooth transition of pupils into formal education. He added that each local government was tasked with enrolling at least 20,000 children, totaling 220,000 across the state.
Commissioner for Education, Aishatu Maigari, described the enrolment drive as a bold move toward bridging the education gap and advancing sustainable development. She called on local government chairmen to ensure children remain in school until they complete secondary education.
“With this enrolment drive, Gombe State is making a bold step towards reducing the number of out-of-school children and positioning education as a fundamental tool for development,” Maigari said.
