By Dapo Bruce
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated an 18-member Presidential Steering Committee on the Alternate School Programme, (ASP). The President charged the committee to coordinate and lead the deployment of a National Plan which will address the issue of out-of-school children in the country.
Sadiya Umar Farouq, Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development was named co-chair alongside Mallam Adamu Adamu, Honourable Minister of Education.
The choice of Farouq as co-chair is instructive when the mandate of the steering committee is taken into consideration.
The Alternate School Programme has as its mandate to improve access to education for all Nigerian children in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-4) which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.