IA-Foundation’s Founder/CEO, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, has lauded President Bola Tinubu for approving the commencement of DOTS project to overhaul the education sector, increase enrolment and ensure the academic security of the nation ‘s children.
DOTS is an acronym representing: Data Repository, Out-of-School Children’s Education, Teacher Training and Development, and Skill Development and Acquisition.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, made the disclosure on Friday, July 5, in Shabu, a suburb of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, while simultaneously performing the ground-breaking foundation laying ceremony of the National Examinations Council offices of Nasarawa, Abia, Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Lagos, and River States.
The minister revealed that the DOTS project was meant to address the paucity of coordinated, verifiable, and authentic data in all aspects of the education sector in Nigeria.
Sununu further explained that the new initiative would enable the Federal Government to track the progress of students, thus having a clear data-driven mechanism for interventions, especially concerning out-of-school children, girls, and those with specific learning disabilities, among others.
He said, “Out-of-school children represents a major thematic area in the eight points agenda of President Bola Tinubu, with priority focus on social welfare, health, and education.
“Mr. President is of the believe that the over 20million out-of-school children we have now, represents a group of Nigerians that we must pay attention to, otherwise miscreants can use them to cause and foment trouble in Nigeria.
“Mrs Adeagbo shares President Tinubu’s optimism that for Nigeria to develop and continue to take its rightful position in the comity of nations, those group of over 20million citizens must be returned to school and ensure that they get proper education and the necessary skills to make them self-efficient and relevant in the society,” the minister added.
The Daily Crucible reports that apparently worried by the increasing rate of out-of-school children in the country, IA-Foundation, an NGO, was set up five years ago in the UK and Nigerian to help reduce the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Over the last five years they have picked up at least 105 children from the street and put them in school and pay their fees. They have also distributed over 5000 e-learning materials, built a borehole in the Makoko community, held conferences to raise awareness on the subject matter.
While commending the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule and the governors of the other six states for their continuous support to the educational sector, Mrs Adeagbo expressed confidence that the seven new NECO offices will empower the examination body to serve the Nigerian people better.
On his part, the Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, explained that the landmark achievement was a demonstration of the support and commitment of the Federal Government, under the visionary leadership of President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the new state offices in Nasarawa, Abia, Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Lagos and Rivers States, alongside other magnificent edifices of NECO, would serve as beacons of excellence in the administration of examinations in Nigeria.
