In a decisive move to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children, the Nasarawa State Government has issued a stern warning that parents who fail to enrol their children in school will face prosecution. This announcement was made by the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Kassim Muhammed-Kassim.
Legal Action and Statewide Sensitisation Campaign
Dr. Muhammed-Kassim delivered the warning on Thursday, 4 December 2025, during the opening of a one-day Education Summit at the Late Aliyu Akwe Doma Banquet Hall in Lafia. He declared that basic education is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and vowed to enforce it to ensure no child is left behind.
To drive this message home, the board has initiated a major enlightenment campaign. Seven minibuses have been procured for sensitisation activities across all 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs). These buses, commissioned by Governor Abdullahi Sule at the event, will be used for town hall meetings and media campaigns to educate parents and guardians on the importance of schooling.
"We will let them realise that they must compulsorily enrol their children and wards in schools, or face sanctions. Any parents who fail to send their children to school will face legal action in line with the existing law," the SUBEB Chairman stated emphatically.
Cleaning House: Teacher Redeployment and Contract Revocation
The summit also served as a platform to address deep-rooted systemic issues plaguing the education sector. Dr. Muhammed-Kassim revealed a series of corrective measures his board has undertaken.
He disclosed that the board discovered about 3,000 professionally trained teachers who had illegally worked their postings to local government education offices instead of classrooms. In response, 1,900 teachers have been redeployed back to teaching duties, with an additional 1,000 soon to be deployed to fill staffing shortages in schools.
Furthermore, the Chairman announced the revocation of nine contracts for substandard work, including the construction of staff quarters at SMART School in Lafia. This decisive action has resulted in savings of N101,000,000 (One Hundred and One Million Naira) for the state government.
Other challenges identified include:
- Substandard school structures and lack of chairs
- Inadequate teachers and staff truancy
- Overstaffing in LGA education offices
- Illegal loan deductions by banks through Education Secretaries
Governor Sule's Support and Broader Development Plans
Governor Abdullahi Sule, who declared the summit open, commended Dr. Muhammed-Kassim for his dedication and pledged his administration's continued support to improve basic education standards. The governor used the occasion to commission not only the sensitisation buses but also new chairs for distribution to schools statewide.
In a related development, Governor Sule announced significant capital projects for the state. He revealed that arrangements have been concluded for the groundbreaking of a $90 million paper mill in Keffi LGA on Friday. Additionally, plans are finalised to commence the construction of twin flyovers in Mararaba, Karu LGA, aimed at easing traffic on the Abuja-Keffi expressway.
The governor credited President Bola Tinubu's fiscal reforms for providing states like Nasarawa with sufficient funds to undertake such projects, utilising both federal subventions and internally generated revenue.
The summit concluded with optimism that the collective efforts of all stakeholders would address the identified lapses and revitalise basic education across Nasarawa State.
