Four African varsities join forces to boost nomadic education

Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, has partnered with three African universities to establish a consortium aimed at improving access to education for nomadic pastoralists and other marginalised communities across the continent.

The initiative seeks to increase school enrolment, retention and completion rates among children in underserved communities by promoting inclusive and flexible education pathways.

PUNCH Online reports that the other institutions in the consortium are the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya; Capital University, Somalia; and the University of Namibia.

The partnership was announced on Tuesday at a three-day international conference in Kano themed, “Strengthening Inclusive and Flexible Education Pathways for Nomadic Pastoralists and Marginalised Learners in Africa.”

In his welcome address, the President of MAAUN, Prof. Mohammad Israr, said education was a fundamental right and an important tool for transforming society.

He, however, noted that nomadic pastoralists and marginalised communities across Africa continued to face significant barriers to accessing quality education.

“Our responsibility as universities and educational institutions is to develop inclusive, flexible and innovative educational approaches that ensure no learner is left behind,” he said.

Israr said the conference provided an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange knowledge, share experiences and develop practical strategies to improve educational access for underserved communities.

In her keynote address, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id-Ahmad, said the conference addressed a national responsibility and a shared continental aspiration to ensure that every child had access to quality education.

The minister, who was represented by the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Education, Zaria, Prof. Yahaya Bunkure, said the challenges confronting nomadic children went beyond gaining admission into schools.

“For many of these children, the challenge is not only gaining admission into schools, but remaining in education, completing the learning cycle and acquiring competencies relevant to their lives,” she said.

She described access to education for nomadic and underserved children as an issue of equity, social justice, human dignity and national development.

“Our responsibility is to build an education system that responds to the diversity of our people, reaches children wherever they are and provides learning opportunities that enable them to participate productively in society,” the minister said.

She urged universities in Nigeria and other African countries to conduct research into the factors affecting access, participation, retention and learning among nomadic and underserved children.

Also speaking, the founder of MAAUN Group of Universities, Prof. Adamu Abubakar-Gwarzo, called for the development of curricula that addressed the peculiar educational needs of nomadic and pastoralist communities.

He said such an approach would help children in the communities acquire relevant knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of their countries.

The Vice-Chancellors of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Capital University also participated virtually.

Prof. Elias Opngo of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Dr Ahmed Ga’al of Capital University, in their separate remarks, stressed the need to provide equal educational opportunities to children irrespective of their geographical location, family occupation or circumstances.

They also called for stronger cooperation among African countries, noting that the challenges of nomadic education required collective efforts across the continent.