Benue State Summit Aims for Zero Out-of-School Children

The Benue State Education Summit, held in Makurdi, aimed to address the challenges of school enrollment and retention among children. Governor Hyacinth Alia opened the summit, reaffirming his administration's commitment to providing free compulsory basic education, declaring access to education a fundamental right.

The summit brought together various stakeholders, including religious and traditional leaders, to develop innovative strategies to tackle the growing challenges faced by school children. Governor Alia launched the "Brace Project" to monitor and identify out-of-school children, announcing the donation of a Hilux van for this initiative.

He highlighted the importance of partnerships to strengthen the education system and acknowledged the support from UBEC and UNICEF in providing educational materials. The summit also addressed poverty as a significant factor affecting school attendance and called for collective efforts to reverse the trend of out-of-school children, with a goal of achieving zero out-of-school children in Benue State.