By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
Niger state Governor’s wife, Dr. Amina Sani Bello, has emphasised the need for implementers of the federal governments’, ‘At Risk Children Programme’ (ARC-P) to ensure capturing and empowerment of the girl-child and other under-represented groups in the state.
Niger state Governor’s wife, Dr. Amina Sani Bello, has emphasised the need for implementers of the federal governments’, ‘At Risk Children Programme’ (ARC-P) to ensure capturing and empowerment of the girl-child and other under-represented groups in the state.
Dr. Amina Sani Bello also wants total support and cooperation of traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and as well as other stakeholders for a successful implementation of the ARC-P programme to end youth restiveness caused by idleness and joblessness.
The Governor’s wife made her position known during the opening of a 2-day stakeholders’ workshop on the implementation of the ARC-P which took place at Haske Hotel, Minna on Tuesday, August 23, 2022. She added that the multi-faceted threats posed by the 13.2 million out-of-school children as estimated by UNICEF cannot be properly checked without their support.
According to the Governor’s wife, “As we implement the At Risk Children Programme, we should leverage on the opportunities of digital innovations, ensure the empowerment of the girl child and other under-represented groups”.
Previous attempts to check the menace in the past, she observed, failed due to lack of proper coordination. She therefore insists that stakeholders in the education sector must begin to link educational curriculum with the right entrepreneurial skills acquisition for ease of integration into the job market.
With proper implementation of the ARC-P, Amina Sani Bello said the future of about 62, 500 youths who are mostly out-of-school children from across the 25 Local Government Areas of Niger state would have been secured. She however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiatives.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programme, Mrs. Maryam Uwais, said the ARC-P which is already being implemented in some states, is part of efforts by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to check the impending danger posed by the out-of-children, especially in the Northern states.
Maryam Uwais said the programme will entail training of about 50 trainees who will in turn train others who must be residents of the various Local Government Areas as one of the pre-requisite conditions. She said they are expected to take responsibility for whatever happens therein.
“Our parents did well by ensuring that we were educated, leaving 13.2 million out-of-school children as estimated by UNICEF without education or their energies properly channelled to useful ventures, can best be described as danger waiting to happen in the build up to the 2023 general elections”.
She challenged participants to come up with implementable data of groups to benefit in the ARC-P. She added that the vulnerable groups to be captured include; young mothers abandoned by their husbands or victims of abusive marriages, sex workers, drug addicts, amongst others.
Areas to focus for the out-of-school children and those who never had any form of education, she said, include agriculture, taking the advantage of the state’s vast land to encourage them to venture into farming, which includes piggery and poultry, as well as encouraging those talented in sports to fulfil their dreams and secure their future. NNL.
