Gombe State government said it will prosecute parents and guardians for not sending their children to schools.
Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Babaji Babadidi gave the warning Monday at the inauguration of the 2025/2026 School Enrolment Campaign at Amada in Akko Local Government Area.
He said defaulting parents could face a two-month jail term under Section 19(2) of the SUBEB Amendment Law 2021.
Babadidi said the measure was necessary to ensure that every child has access to quality basic education.
“Every parent should ensure that his child or ward attends and completes primary, junior and senior secondary education.
“Any parent who contravenes Section 19(2) of the law commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to pay a fine or serve a one-month prison sentence.
“Subsequent convictions also attract a substantial fine or imprisonment for a term of two months,” he said.
Babadidi said prior to this enrolment campaign, the state government adopted carrot approach by providing free education.
“However, if we fail to meet our target of enrolling 400,000 pupils into primary schools this session, we will revert to the stick approach by enforcing the law.”
The Commissioner for Education, Professor Aishatu Maigari said the state has over 700,000 out-of-school children.
According to Maigari, the North East region accounts for 15 percent of Nigeria’s 18.2 million out-of-school children.
He said the state government made massive investments to enhance access to quality education and urged parents to reciprocate the gesture by sending their wards to school.
The commissioner commended community leaders for mobilising parents to enrol their children in schools.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Bauchi, Dr Nuzhat Rafique described the number of out-of-school children in Gombe State as “alarming.”
According to Rafique, UNICEF works to uphold children’s rights, especially access to education.
“Every child has the right to be in school, receive quality education and grow into a productive citizen of the society,” she said.
She described the enrolment campaign as a critical moment and urged parents, children and stakeholders to support the programme.
The Emir of Gona, Alhaji Umar Abdulsalam, pledged his readiness to mobilise participation in the campaign.
Represented by Gadi Galadima, the emir lauded Governor Inuwa Yahaya for the improved investments in the education sector.
Highlight of the event featured symbolic enrolment of school-age children into Primary I and out-of-school children into post-basic school.
