The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with community leaders and the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), has intensified efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Sokoto State.

This commitment was reaffirmed during a visit to Sarkin Kabbi Model Primary School, Yabo, established in 1922, and Malam Umaru Kabawa Islamiyya Community School, Yabo, where stakeholders pledged to sustain enrollment and improve learning outcomes.

UNICEF Country Representative, Ms Wafa Said, commended the school management and SBMC for boosting enrollment but expressed concern about children still roaming the streets instead of being in classrooms.

Mallam Abubakar, representing the traditional ruler of Yabo, attributed the problem to poverty and poor parental sensitisation. “Many families cannot afford to keep their children in school, while some parents lack adequate awareness of the value of education,” he said.

SBMC Chairman Alhaji Dan Shehu explained that the committee had returned several children to school but lamented the difficulty in sustaining them through higher education due to a lack of funds.

Community cleric Alhaji Muhammadu said religious leaders were using Juma’at sermons to campaign for child education, yielding positive results. “Personally, I have ensured my children studied up to university and master’s levels,” he added.

Headmaster Yusuf Sharu disclosed that Sarkin Kabbi Model Primary currently enrols 1,045 boys and 957 girls, with significantly improved learning standards through the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) method. Before the intervention, many pupils in primary 4, 5, and 6 struggled to read.

UNICEF provided a borehole, improving hygiene, water access, and agricultural projects. “The water project has solved scarcity challenges, enhanced handwashing practices, supported menstrual hygiene, and sustained our school garden,” Sharu said.

Michael Juma, UNICEF Chief of Sokoto Field Office, assured continued support for teacher training and urged the SBMC to expand climate-change initiatives like tree planting and erosion control.

Community leaders proudly recalled that Sarkin Kabbi Model Primary had produced over 30 professors and prominent figures since its establishment. Ms Wafa Said said this legacy proves the power of education, stating, “When Nigerian children are given access to learning, they don’t just uplift their communities; they contribute to Africa and the world at large.”