FG launches national policy on gender education in North

The Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with UNICEF and funding from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) UK, on Tuesday, launched the reviewed National Policy on Gender Education (NPGE) and its implementation in Northern Nigeria.

The policy document is expected to help strengthen the government’s capacity to oversee the integration of gender concerns in every area of national life and also improve compliance with reporting requirements under various human rights instruments.

It now behoves on the respective state governments to put structures in place where it is not already existing to ensure smooth implementation of the policy in the interest of their children as promised by education commissioners and SUBEB chairmen present at the launch of the document at a hotel in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Director of Senior Secondary Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Binta Abdulkadir, who was represented by a Deputy Director in the Ministry, Mr Funsho Aderibigbe remarked that the implementation of the policy would be closely monitored being approved by the National Council on Education.

According to her, “we must all be committed to implementation and use of the revised policy to reduce the disparities in access, retention and completion at all levels of education.

“The review went through several processes including; stakeholders’ engagement to determine the process of review, development of survey tools used in determining the implementation status of the first Gender Policy, a pilot test of the tools developed in FCT”.

Earlier, Chief of Education, UNICEF, Nigeria, Ms Saadhna Pandary who was represented by Education Specialist, UNICEF, Azuka Menkiti described the launch of the NPGE as a demonstration of the transformative political will and strategic investment being made in girls’ education in Nigeria.

“We know what works to increase girls’ participation in education from cash transfer programmes to compacts with men and with communities, to multiple, flexible, and certified learning pathways, to investing in skills development for girls.

“Our challenge going forward is not to figure out what to do to achieve gender equality but how to deliver these proven strategies through sustainable delivery mechanism with speed, scale, and quality,” Pandary added.

She however clarified that the UNICEF would only be providing technical supports towards the implementation of the action plan each state would develop at the end of the day.

On her part, Commissioner for Education in Kaduna, Mrs Fatima Lawal, restated the commitment of the current administration on the need for gender balance to achieve the desired goals and objectives to take education to its desired level as evident in several reforms the state is experiencing.

Sola Ojo

The Sun

FG launches national policy on gender education in North