The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is targeting no fewer than one million children through school radio clubs programmes to support enrollment drive campaigns for the development of education in the North East, Nigeria.
Mrs Elizabeth Onitolo, Communication for Development (C4D), UNICEF, made the disclosure at the official inauguration of the programme for Adamawa State in collaboration with State Universal Basic Education Board in Yola on Friday.
She said that the programme was being implemented in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
Onitolo noted that the programme was designed for behavioural and social change toward realising the goal of resilience and integrated education programme in the region.
“Specifically  it is aimed at educating communities including 250,000 youths and children through radio communication.
“It is for development support and as enrollment drive campaigns to reach over one million children,” she said.
Mr Joel Jutum, Education Specialist, UNICEF  Adamawa, said that presently,there are  60 schools radio clubs in three pilot Local Government Areas in the state.
According to him, there are 10 in Guyuk, 25 in Fufore and 25 in Hong.
He said that the radios had already been distributed to benefiting schools being supervised by cordinators.
Jutum, said that some of the challenges so far recorded included poor radio signal, network problem and insecurity, and that the safety of pupils could not be guaranteed especially in the evening.
He recommended for the distribution of the episode using external drives and having more than one radio club in the schools.
He said that these would support the radio clubs to function well for the development of education in the benefiting schools.
In her remarks, Mrs Wilbina Jackson, Commissioner for Education and Capital Development, Adamawa State, thanked and appreciated the effort of UNICEF in contributing positively to the development of education in the state.
The commissioner, who was represented by Mr Tanko Musa, Director, Basic Education, Adamawa, said that the radio clubs would definitely improve school enrollment especially girl-child education.
She urged the cordinators to ensure timely report of any challenge to the right channel for prompt response.