Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Stakeholders in the education sector have commenced the review of Kano State School Based Management Policy (KNSBMP).

KANO FOCUS reports that the review was jointly facilitated by Professors Aisha Abdul Ismail and Suwaiba Ahmad.

The event which was conducted between 16th – 17th May, at Tahir Guest Palace was supported by Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE).

The stakeholders were selected from State ministry of education and its parastatals; state and local government leadership of SBMCs and representatives of Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE).

The two day event was also attended by a one time Permanent Secretary in the state ministry of education Alhaji Danlami Garba.

The workshop reviewed the existing policy to ensure that it is still relevant, effective and aligned with the educational goals and values of Kano state.

The stakeholders have proposed three layer leadership structure for SBMC in Kano consist of school, local government and state executives.

They also proposed the expansion of executives committee to include marginalised groups and security personnel to reflect emerging issues such as safeguarding and gender in schools.

The stakeholders would reconvene to adopt the reviewed SBMC policy after harmonisation of proposed amendments.

The School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) concept emerged in the late 1980s and was subsequently championed by the 1990s-global reform in education which, in turn prompted the institutionalization of the SBMC in Nigeria.

In 2005, the National Council on Education (NCE) at its 52nd session approved that all schools in the country should establish School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) to ensure that communities participate in the school decision-making process.

Kano State in 2010, developed its SBMC policy with the support of the UK-aid/DFID funded-Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) using a participatory approach that involved various stakeholders across the state.

KANO FOCUS reports that PLANE has supported Kano state government in reviewing several education laws and policies including teacher policy, gender policy among others.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The trauma of not being able to get husbands after higher education has continued to discourage many parents in Jemagu from sending their girls to school, most especially as their boys hardly go beyond secondary school.

KANO FOCUS reports that in Jemagu town Warawa Local Government Area of Kano State, girls hardly go beyond secondary school because they would find it very difficult to marry as their men don’t usually go for those who go beyond that level.

Men in Jemagu believe that girls who go beyond secondary school would have experienced some social life that would make them very difficult to control. Residents said their children’s education, especially the girls, began and ended in Jemagu primary and secondary schools.

Babangida Adamu is among the men in Jemagu who believe that it is not proper to marry a girl who has gone beyond secondary school. He added that girls who acquire higher education would not like to marry men who have no formal education.

Babangida Adamu

“The truth is that any woman who acquired higher education would not like to marry a man with lower education. I will also not marry a girl who has university degree because I do not have a degree. This is why most men will not like to marry girls with higher education,” Adamu said.

A 25-year-old Khadija Muhammad Jemagu, who recently obtained a diploma in Marketing from the Kano State Polytechnic but does not have government job or husband, said she had resorted to helping a non-governmental organisation to promote girl-child education in her community. She believes there is the need to intensify awareness among parents on the importance of girl-child education.

According to Khadija, many people have told her that since she has chosen western education, it would be difficult for any man in her village to come close to her because the men believe that she is wiser than any man that may be willing to marry her since most of them do not have more than secondary education.

“Even before I finished my diploma, many people would go about saying that since my father had chosen to send us to school, they would see who would come and marry us. And for several years I have been living like this because in this our village, no man has ever come to me with marriage proposal, simply because I have a diploma,” she said.

Jemagu primary school

But despite this belief in Jemagu, some girls like Hussaina Muhammad are still trying to obtain a certificate on education, but there is no man within the community willing to marry her at the moment. She, however, insists that her educational ambition is a priority.

But Hussaina believes she can still get a husband within or outside her community provided she becomes well educated. She vowed that insult and discrimination from men within her village would not discourage her ambition.

“After secondary school, I started my National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme here in Warawa, but you know the belief our people. They see us as prostitutes; therefore, no one will come to offer his hand in marriage to us. But I will not be discouraged because I believe that whenever it is time for me to marry, God will definitely bring a husband for me,” she said.

Zainab Makera was able to get married after secondary school. She wants to proceed but is faced with a difficult choice – to further her education or stay with her husband. She said she had been trying to convince her husband to allow her continue but she was told that if she really wanted to continue with her education, she had to get divorced.

Zainab Makera

Meanwhile, few women who were able to convince their husbands to allow them proceed beyond secondary school “are constantly being rejected by community members,” said Hussaina.

According to education authorities in Warawa Local Government, this belief is not the only problem affecting girl-child education in Jemagu.

Lack of commitment by parents, especially mothers, may have worsened the situation over the years.

“There are several reasons why girls don’t go to school frequently; few of them have to do with the attitude of their parents, especially women who often sent their female children for hawking and other domestic works that stop them from attending classes,” said Munnir Muhammad, an education secretary in Warawa.

On the issue of girls not being able to get husbands after attending higher institution at Jemagu, Munnir believes that the problem is not only in Jemagu or Warawa Local Government.

“It is a general societal problem in northern Nigeria, where men, especially those with formal education usually reject women with higher education. Additionally, the government is working with parents-teachers associations, mothers associations and other relevant stakeholders to improve girl-child education in Warawa Local Government.”

Jemagu town, Warawa local government area

Meanwhile, residents said apart from poverty among the local community, lack of awareness by government authorities and poor education infrastructure, the problem of water supply in Jemagu village is forcing many children, especially girls, to skip school because they have to travel long distance to fetch water for the house. But government authorities assured that the problem of water supply in this village would soon be a thing of the past.

While recognising the threat of rejecting girls beyond secondary school as a major problem affecting girl-child education in the area, the caretaker chairman of Warawa Local Government, Lamido Sanusi, acknowledged that the problem of water is another major issue at Jemagu village. He said their ambition was to ensure that every girl-child is educated from primary school to university level without any form of discrimination across all villages and towns of Warawa Local Government.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Representatives of the diverse host communities and ethnic groups at the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana; and that of Dangote Coal Mines Limited, Ankpa, Kogi State,aq expressed their excitement over the Food Intervention Programme of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF).

In an outpouring of appreciation, a Monarch, the Bajana of Obajana, Engr Idowu Isenibi, described the Food Intervention Programme of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) as timely.

Obajana is home to West African largest cement factory, the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana.

“It is coming at the time Nigerians are in need. We are humbled by this generosity, but like Oliver Twist, we would always ask for more,” Engr Isenibi said.

The Monarch said, “We are peaceful people. We have been protecting his investment, and we will continue this path bequeathed to us by our forefathers.

“We promise not to betray or disappoint Alhaji Aliko Dangote.”

This paper can report that N15billion was earmarked for the Food Intervention Programme by the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

Representatives of the different religions and ethnic groups took turn to pledge their unwavering support for the Dangote Cement Plc.

Speaking, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) who was represented by his secretary, Pastor Pius Ushie, described Mr. Dangote as God sent, adding that the food intervention would positively impact the lives of many impoverished and vulnerable people in the state and Nigeria.

According to him, the Christian community in Obajana will continue to pray for the success of the Dangote Cement Plc.

The Muslim Community, represented by the Deputy Chief Imam, Mallam Saidu Adamu, said Dangote has contributed to peace, security, and economic development of Kogi State in general.
He said in Islam feeding the poor attracts great reward, calling on other wealthy Nigerians to emulate Mr. Dangote’s act of generosity.

Leader of the Yoruba community, Ismail Adetunji, said the rice donation by the ADF would not only cushion the economic situation of the poor, but it would also help in creating a sense of unity among the members of the host communities.

On his part, the leader of the Igala community, Daiko Gideon, said his community members would continue to support the company, even as he commended it for the several social intervention schemes over the years.

Speaking earlier, General Manager, Social Performance, Ademola Adeyemi, said the food initiative represents a continuation of the Foundation’s commitment to supporting the government and the Nigerian populace in alleviating economic hardship within the country.

He thanked the communities for being the Ambassadors of the Dangote Cement Plc in the state.

Representative of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Sanusi Abdulkadir, said the Foundation would not rest on its oars in giving back to society.

At Ankpa Local Government Area, home to the Dangote Coal Mines Limited, Mr. Husseini Christian, a community leader commended the Foundation for the food donation, saying it would further enhance the existing cordial relationship between the company and the community.

Similarly, Mallam Ismail Yakubu, representing Awo Ate said the food intervention came at the right time, and would create succor to members of the community.

On his part, Mr. Peter Adejoh, representative of the Awo Akpali Community, said his people were grateful for the support, adding that it would go a long in easing the economic realities among members of the community.

Representative of the Onupi Community, Abdullahi Saidu, and his counterpart, Abdullahi Garba Muhammad who represented the Ajobe-Ofeanyaka community of Ankpa said the support of the Aliko Dangote Foundation is huge in his community, just as he said the community members would not relent in its support for the company.