The Executive Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, has emphasized the need for collaboration with the Muslim community to improve school enrollment, particularly among girls, and to develop infrastructure in Nomadic Schools across the state. This call was made during a courtesy visit to the Chief Imam of Benue State, Sheikh Dr. Suleiman Habib, at the Central Mosque in Wadata, Makurdi.
This was contained in a press release by the Board’s Information Officer, Emmanuella Akese on Wednesday.
According to the release, Dr. Adagba expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school children from Muslim communities in the state and appealed to religious and traditional leaders to support the campaign by sensitizing their communities on the value of education.
She commended the state governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, for his continued support of the basic education sector, noting that it has received the highest budgetary allocation under his administration.
The SUBEB chair highlighted the board’s achievements, including the construction of modern classrooms, replacement of chalkboards with whiteboards, and prompt payment of teachers’ salaries. She also disclosed that the board manages 31 Nomadic Schools across the state, with 8 affected by past crises, and called on stakeholders to partner with the board to rebuild these schools.
Furthermore, Dr. Adagba announced plans to launch a “Catch-Them-Young” campaign, targeting community-based sensitization to boost school enrollment. The Chief Imam of Benue State, Sheikh Dr. Suleiman Habib, commended Dr. Adagba for her efforts in upgrading the Arabic school in Wadata and pledged the commitment of the Muslim Elders Council to support SUBEB’s mass enrollment drive.
The Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) of Arabic Primary School, Alhaji Danladi Umaru, expressed gratitude to SUBEB for selecting the school for an upgrade and assured the executive chairman of the community’s support for education programs.
