In a bold step to tackle the alarming number of out-of-school children in Nigeria’s North-East, the Adamawa State Government is set to enact a law that will make it compulsory for parents to enrol their children in school — or face legal consequences.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Umar Pella, during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Yola, the state capital. The meeting brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, parents, and education stakeholders under the auspices of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other international partners.
According to Dr. Pella, the new law draws its authority from the Child’s Rights Act, which Adamawa State has already domesticated and is currently implementing. He said the legislation would empower the state to prosecute negligent parents, especially those who deny their children, particularly girls, the right to education.
“This act will take a lot of students off the streets and drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children in our communities,” Pella stated.
While announcing the impending legislation, the Commissioner acknowledged that insecurity in the North has significantly hampered education. Fear of attacks, displacement, and a lack of infrastructure have led many parents to withdraw their children from school.
However, Pella warned that denying children access to education is also fueling insecurity, as uneducated youths are more susceptible to being lured into criminal networks and insurgent groups.
“One of the biggest tools to fight insecurity and insurgency is education. Parents must understand that enrolling their children in school is an investment in peace,” he added.
Pella also appealed to traditional rulers to become front-line advocates for education within their domains. He emphasized that their influence can reshape perceptions, particularly in conservative communities where sending girls to school is still frowned upon.
On her part, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief Field Officer for UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, raised concern over Nigeria’s staggering education crisis. She cited recent UNICEF statistics showing that over 80 million school-age children remain out of school across the country.
“Some parents are not even aware of the importance of education to their children. This is where traditional rulers and community leaders have a vital role,” Dr. Rafique said.
She explained that UNICEF’s partnership with Adamawa State is focused on removing key barriers to access — including poverty, distance, insecurity, and entrenched cultural beliefs.
One of the central goals of the new legislation and UNICEF’s collaboration is to ensure gender parity in education. In many rural parts of Adamawa, girls are still kept out of classrooms due to early marriages, house chores, and harmful cultural practices.
UNICEF has rolled out a number of interventions — including conditional cash transfers, community mobilization campaigns, and construction of safe schools — to address the challenges head-on.
“No child should be left behind, especially not because of gender. Every girl in Adamawa deserves a future that begins with access to a classroom,” Dr. Rafique said passionately.
With the state now taking a legal stance and international partners providing both technical and financial support, there is renewed hope that Adamawa can turn the tide in the fight against illiteracy and child neglect.
Dr. Pella affirmed that once the law is passed, awareness campaigns will be launched across all 21 Local Government Areas of the state, and a task force will be set up to monitor compliance.
“We are no longer begging people to do the right thing. Education is a right, not a favour. And Adamawa is ready to make that clear,” he concluded.
As Nigeria struggles to lift millions of children out of educational neglect, Adamawa’s bold move may become a model for other states — proving that with the right laws and community involvement, every child can learn, thrive, and dream.