From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The National Mass Education Commission (NMEC) has commenced the certification of about 400 Non- Governmental Organizations and Governmental Organizations in Kebbi state which are involving in mass literacy and skill learning processes across the 21 local Government areas in the state.
North- West Coordinator of the Commission, Alhaji Yusuf Abdul-Qadir Aliyu, while speaking with newsmen after inspection of the Almajiris Support Initiative of Nigeria (ASIN), headquarters ,Birnin Kebbi, noted that the NGO located in Kebbi Central senatorial district are sincere well organized, in rendering service to the less privileges.
He explained that, the Commission’s Staffs, who arrived the state few days ago, have been deployed to Kebbi North, South and Central senatorial districts to monitor all the learning centers which were recommended by the state government for assessment.
According to him, “In fact, to be sincere, I was impressed most especially this particular center. When we arrived,this center, Almajiri Support Initiative of Nigeria are the best. What happened when we arrived, I do gave training to other centers, trained them on what to do. We divided it into three zones, the Kebbi Central, Kebbi North and Kebbi South. So, I sent the agency’s Staffs to take care of the other zones while I remained in the Kebbi Central to overlook the activities of the monitoring learning achievement in the state.
“And we were happy to meet this center to be sincere in what they doing. The learning processes in the Kebbi central, I was impressed. In fact, I call my Literacy Director in Abuja yesterday and I connected him with the Proprietor of this center and he promised to do something for them soon. He instructed the proprietor to write to them so that something could be done for the center by the National Commission.
“ We are here to understand the level of assimilation of our learners . These adults education centers are not only training their learners in vocational skills but also on literacy. We were happy to meet this center because they have skill acquisition units for their learners. For that reason, we understood that they have standard for both literacy and vocational. I think that was the reason the State Literacy Commission selected this center for us as the best to enable us to measure the performances of the learners”.
He also disclosed that the Kebbi state would start receiving trucks of writing and learning materials, which have been dispatched by the Commission few days ago.
He said: “we always like to see this kind of center like this, most especially an NGO of this kind. This shows that people did not leave all the work,the burden to the government. They are partnering with the government to eradicate illiteracy. Because that is our target,eradication of illiteracy. That is why our motto, is teach one, teach one. When it’s come to benefits, I can only give and example, one NGO in Sokoto, Illimijari, in Gwadagbawa. Last year, we sent three days with the NGO to access them. After that, the agency sent motorcycles, generators and writing materials to the NGO for the center to be able to carry out functionally training in the NGO. So, this is example of what the commission do give to NGO.
“But for the state government, it has been our tradition to always give teaching materials to the state Literacy Commission. In fact, today or tomorrow, trucks of teaching and learning materials is coming to Kebbi state. About last three days, they were dispatched and they must be on their way”, he said.
In his remark, the Proprietor of the Almajiris Support Initiative of Nigeria, Comrade Shehu Umar disclosed that his NGO need means of transportation to be monitoring their pupils at various vocational centers, their schools across the state, stressed that for the past 20 years when he started the organization, more than 5,000 pupils have been trained on various skills while about 200 are currently undergoing training.
Umar added that, the 200 pupils are undergoing various vocational training such as sewing, shoe making,cosmetic, vulcanizing, mechanic as well as literacy learning.
Earlier, Mallam Muhammed Rilwanu Idris, a Continue Education officer at the Kebbi state Mass Education Commission, disclosed that about 250 NGOs are operating in the state on Literacy while more than 200 of such are Governmental organizations working hard to eradicate illiteracy across the state.
A Matron of the Center,Hajia Khadija Bande in her remark explained that many women, young and adults have continued to embrace the literacy and skill acquisition training at the center.
She added that, women are no more dependants in the area or ignorant in term of knowledge, stressed that Almajiri Support Initiative of Nigeria has create an opportunity for them to excel and cater for their families.