Hanny Henry
The Adamawa State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), has unveiled a 10-year education plan aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children and improving learning outcomes across the state.
The State Education Sector Plan (SESP), supported technically by UNICEF and NIEPA, was formally disseminated in Yola as a long-term framework for improving access to quality and inclusive education.
Speaking at the event, Umar Garba Pella, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, said the dissemination marked the beginning of the implementation phase of the plan.
Pella said the major challenge in education planning was not the availability of policy documents but the commitment to implementing them.
He called on ministries, departments and agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to take responsibility for implementing the strategies outlined in the plan.
According to him, the SESP will run for 10 years and includes measurable indicators for monitoring and evaluating progress.
He assured that the state government would begin implementation and work towards achieving the objectives set out in the plan.
Abdulrahaman Ibrahim Ado, UNICEF Education Specialist for the Bauchi Field Office, said the plan provides Adamawa with a clear roadmap for addressing major challenges affecting the education sector, particularly access to schooling and quality learning.
Ado said the framework would help the state tackle the problem of school-age children who are out of school while improving learning outcomes.
He explained that the 10-year SESP had been broken down into a three-year State Education Sector Operational Plan (SESOP), alongside Local Education Sector Operational Plans (LESOPs) developed at the local government level.
He said the approach would enable local governments to identify and prioritise their education needs while aligning them with the broader priorities of the state.
He added that plans were developed by technical teams from the state and local governments, with UNICEF providing technical and financial support and NIEPA contributing technical expertise.
He added that UNICEF would train stakeholders on effective implementation, noting that the plans were designed to be gender-sensitive, climate-resilient and inclusive of persons with disabilities.
Also speaking, A.D Shofoyeke, Director General of NIEPA, said the collaboration covered Adamawa, Enough, Jigsaw, Sokoto and Lagos states.
Shofoyeke Who was representing by Sunday Adegbesan the UNICEF Desk Officer, said the collaboration covered Adamawa, Enugu, Jigawa, Sokoto and Lagos states.
Shofoyeke, represented by Sunday Adegbesan, UNICEF Desk Officer, further stated that the process began in 2025 with scoping, a review of existing education plans, training of education managers and the development of the sector plans.
He urged the states to use the operational plans as a basis for preparing their annual education budgets.
He said the plans cover key areas including access to education, reduction of out-of-school children, inclusive education, infrastructure, teacher development, learning quality, stakeholder engagement and education financing.
