An intensified focus and improvement in Nigeria’s nomadic education system will play a significant role in curbing the worrisome cases of banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria.
Aliyu Tilde, Bauchi State commissioner for education highlighted this in a statement addressing the rising spate of banditry and kidnapping ravaging the country.
According to Tilde, nomadic education has suffered neglect in the past and its resuscitation is relevant towards assuaging the grim situation.
He further stated that as the clerics continue with their effort in taking religious education to the nomads, the government needs to retrace its steps and pay due attention to the rights and plight of the nomads, adding that education is the only tool for their refinement and integration into the larger civilization.
Citing statistics relating to nomadic education in the state, the commissioner said only seven projects were carried out under Bauchi State Agency for Nomadic Education (BASANE) in the past five years, touching on only seven out of 463 primary schools.
“To put it straight, the 463 schools have been abandoned for years. Is it surprising that we have bandits and kidnappers below the age of 30 from our forests?” He queried.
He stressed that the abandoned schools are part of the basic schools count that are entitled to the attention that other similar schools get and restructuring the schools should be considered a priority.
Speaking on the way forward, the commissioner said he has met with Bashir Usman, executive secretary of the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), who assured him of the commission’s support.
He added that his recommendation for the abandoned schools to be treated as other schools in the country has been discussed with the Universal Basic Education Commission in Abuja.
“It is my duty as commissioner to bring every stakeholder involved on board in the state. Soon, Bauchi will gain the heart of Professor Bashir and of his Chairman, Professor Tahir, the emeritus administrator of basic education in the country,” he stated.
