Governor Yahaya Urges Northern States to Adopt Joint Plan on Out-of-School Children

By Trending9ja Staff • November 8, 2026 • 1 min read

Gombe State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has called on leaders across Northern Nigeria to establish a unified policy framework to address the rising numbers of out-of-school children. According to Vanguard, the governor stressed that fragmented efforts will not solve the deep-rooted crisis facing the region.

Speaking in Gombe at the 2026 Biennial Lecture and Awards Ceremony organised by the Barewa Old Boys Association, Yahaya warned that leaving millions of young people without basic education threatens national security. He explained that educational exclusion pushes vulnerable youth toward crime, radicalisation, and deep poverty, making a coordinated regional response essential.

The governor highlighted that solving the crisis requires more than simply enrolling pupils. He stated that state governments must also tackle poverty, improve security, and create viable economic opportunities so that families can keep their children in classrooms over the long term.

Sharing Gombe’s record, Yahaya disclosed that his administration inherited over 500,000 out-of-school children in 2019 but has returned around 350,000 back to formal learning. He attributed this progress to declaring a state of emergency in education, hiring over 1,000 qualified teachers, constructing mega schools, and setting up Almajiri Integrated Learning Centres.

He suggested that the Northern States Governors’ Forum serve as the coordinating platform to harmonise educational strategies and share successful interventions across all 19 states. He also called for expanded student exchange programmes, citing Gombe’s accommodation of over 800 students from other states as an initiative worth replicating to foster unity.

Sources: Vanguard