By Our Reporter,The Nation
Copyright thenationonlineng
By Yasir Shehu Adam
Sir: When Gombe State recently launched a bold programme to tackle its education crisis, I could not help but think of my own state, Bauchi. Gombe, with more than 700,000 out-of-school children, has moved quickly to harmonise data, engage communities, and create practical solutions. The government there has set targets for every local government area, introduced special programmes for older learners, and partnered with UNICEF and UBEC to get children back into school.
Now, compare this with Bauchi State. According to UNICEF’s 2023 figures, Bauchi has an estimated 1.2 million out-of-school children — the highest in the country. Yet, instead of a serious, data-driven response, what we see are new roads and flyovers. Impressive structures, yes, but they do little to lift children out of illiteracy or to secure the future of our state.
Education is not just another sector; it is the foundation of every kind of progress. A society cannot rise on illiteracy. Without educated citizens, there will be no sustainable development, no innovation, and no future leaders. Bauchi’s failure to prioritise education is nothing less than a betrayal of its children.
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The same is true of health and welfare. Other states are using federal allocations to cushion the suffering caused by fuel subsidy removal, but here in Bauchi, there are no real welfare programmes for struggling families. Hospitals remain under-equipped, and the youth are left without meaningful job opportunities.
This is why Gombe’s example matters. If a neighbouring state can gather traditional rulers, religious leaders, education experts, and communities around a single cause — saving children from the streets and bringing them back to school — then Bauchi has no excuse. We need more than promises; we need action.
The government of Bauchi State must launch a mass enrolment campaign with measurable targets, support poor families so children, especially girls, stay in school, improve school infrastructure and teaching quality and redirect resources from vanity projects into human development — education, health, and youth empowerment.
Bauchi does not need more roads; it needs more classrooms. Bauchi does not need more flyovers; it needs more teachers. What we need is leadership that sees children as the real foundation of development.
The future of over a million children is at stake. Bauchi must act now.
•Yasir Shehu Adam (Dan Liman)
