Rivers State Government has urged parents, community leaders and education authorities to step up efforts to “bring children who are out of school back into the classroom.”
Governor Siminalayi Fubara made the appeal in Port Harcourt on Thursday during the regional launch of the 2026/2027 school enrolment drive for southern states, organised to encourage community participation in identifying and enrolling out-of-school children.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, the governor said access to quality and inclusive education was essential to sustainable development and called on stakeholders to ensure that poverty, social background and other challenges did not prevent children from attending school.
He urged participating states and communities to turn their commitments into practical actions by identifying vulnerable children, engaging parents and guardians, and encouraging school enrolment.
Fubara also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to initiatives that expand access to education, particularly for children who have been excluded from formal schooling.
On her part, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Aisha Garba, described the number of out-of-school children as a major challenge facing Nigeria’s education sector.
She called for stronger collaboration among governments, communities, parents and other stakeholders to ensure that every Nigerian child had the opportunity to receive an education.
The campaign was organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission, in collaboration with the Rivers State Government to strengthen community involvement and increase school enrolment across southern Nigeria for the 2026/2027 academic session.