The Democratic Front (TDF) has hailed the Lumina programme by the Federal Government to address the scourge of out-of-school children in the country.
The Chairman of TDF, Malam Danjuma Muhammad, said in a statement on Tuesday that the programme is another effort by the Bola Tinubu administration to address human capital development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme, inaugurated on April 23, is expected to provide foundational literacy and numeracy education, especially for girls in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.
The chairman, therefore, explained that the Lumina programme is one of the many initiatives introduced by the Tinubu administration to address challenges in the education sector.
He stated that “we are elated that this particular initiative, running into two years now, aimed at improving access to basic education, especially among vulnerable children nationwide, is achieving its purpose.
“It is our belief that the programme will go a long way to permanently address the alarming rate of out-of-school children, currently estimated to be over 10 million.”
He added that the group is confident that the programme would positively impact the educational pursuit of the girl-child residing in hard-to-reach and underserved communities in Nigeria.
“We, however, advise that the programme be institutionalised for effective continuity because of its potency to provide foundational literacy and numeracy education for the girl-child.
“TDF, therefore, calls on stakeholders in the education sector in Nigeria, particularly the Northern states and local governments, to ensure that out-of-school children within their jurisdiction benefit from this laudable programme.
“Our position is against the backdrop of the undeniable fact that the northern region is the worst hit by the menace of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
“And this painful reality has provided an enabling environment that unfortunately nurtured deadly insecurity, abject poverty and economic backwardness in the region,” the group stated.
TDF also urged the political elite and other stakeholders in the Northern states to support the quest by the Tinubu administration to wage a war against the menace of out-of-school children. (NAN)
