BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto –
In keeping to their mission of making lasting impacts on the lives of vulnerable children and women, PLAN International with funding from the European Union have organized a one day town hall advocacy dialogue with stakeholders in the education sector in Sokoto State.
The dialogue which was in commemoration of the International Day of Education brought together stakeholders from the State Agency for Mass Education, Universal Basic Education, Nomadic Education Board and Female Education Agency amongst others.
The Project Coordinator, Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in North Western Nigeria, Mr Joseph Julius, said the International Day of Education is celebrated on the every year with the aim of driving global dialogue, and encouraging local driven actions to improve education systems and expand access to quality education at all levels.
Mr Julius reaffirmed that the stakeholders dialogue which has policy makers and academia in attendance, was to strengthen the cordial relationship that exist between PLAN Int’l and Sokoto State Ministry of Education.
He stressed that the overall objective of the “Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in Northwest Nigeria Project is to emancipate the poorest, underserved, and most marginalized population groups including women, girls, youths and nomads to access quality, inclusive, gender and conflict-sensitive education.
He added that the project is currently being executed in Sokoto, Kano, and Jigawa States.
According to him, the project is implemented under a consortium led by Plan International Nigeria, co-applicant, Save the Children International (SCI), and local co-applicant, Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative (DRDI) in partnership with Save the Child Initiative (STCI) Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme of the 2025 International Day of Education: “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation”, Mr Julius said the day provides an avenue to reflect on the role of technology in advancing education and sustainable societies.
In his welcome address, the State commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Professor Ahmed Ala, who was represented by one of the directors in the ministry, said PLAN int’l has been a strong dependable pillar in their journey of education for all in the state.
Earlier, Mr Rotimi from PLAN Int’l said their goal is to have 20 million girls empowered to be able to drive change in the next 5 years, which explains why they are advancing the right of the children and equality for the girl child.
Malam Abdullahi Durbawa from the state Ministry of Education collaborated Rotimi’s position by saying PLAN Int’l have impacted many lives positively in the few years of it’s existence in Sokoto.
On his part, the Special Adviser to Sokoto State Governor on Mass Education, Honourable Ibrahim Gidado, thanked PLAN Int’l for been very supportive towards ensuring that Governor Ahmed Aliyu achieve his education for all mission as stated in the 9-point smart campaign agenda.
