Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State has launched SCALE Nigeria, a UK-supported initiative aimed at expanding access to quality education in the state.
The programme, themed “Scaling Access and Learning in Education” is being implemented through a partnership between UK development partners and some non-governmental organisations.
The launching held on Thursday in Katsina has representatives of the British High Commission, education stakeholders, NGOs, teachers, and other facilitators in attendance.
Speaking at the event, Radda said his administration was committed to ensuring that every child in the state had access to quality, safe, and meaningful education.
He said that access to education should go beyond enrolling children in schools, stressing that learning must remain the ultimate objective.
“Education is not simply about getting a child into a school. This is only the beginning, but learning is the ultimate objective.
“The child must not only be enrolled, the child must learn. The child must not only attend school, but the child must be safe.
“The teacher must not only be present, but the teacher must be actively supported to teach effectively,” he said.
Radda said his administration had continued to support interventions across the education sector, including school improvement initiatives, teacher support, and other programmes implemented with development partners and NGOs.
He said that SCALE Nigeria would contribute to broader efforts to improve the quality of education and expand learning opportunities, particularly for children facing barriers to accessing quality education.
The governor said that the state would continue to support initiatives aimed at creating safer and more inclusive learning environments while strengthening teachers through professional development.
He said that the state ambition was not only to implement accelerated programmes but to build an education system that can continuously improve, where an approach demonstrates value and produces results.
Radda said the government would explore ways of integrating successful interventions into the state education system to ensure that such initiatives were sustained beyond their initial implementation.
He said that the government did not see development partners merely as sources of funding but as partners capable of bringing knowledge, innovation, expertise, systems, and sustainable solutions into the education sector.
He said that the state government welcomed more partnerships and more ambitious international collaboration in the sector.
The governor said his administration would work with partners to ensure the successful approaches were properly understood, integrated, feasible, and sustained within the state education system.
Radda said that investment in education was an investment in the future of the state, noting that children in classrooms today could become future teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs, civil servants, scientists, leaders, and innovators.
The governor also said his administration would look into issues concerning allowances and other benefits for individuals involved in the programme, with a view to improving its impact.
Radda urged all stakeholders to work collectively towards achieving the objectives of SCALE Nigeria, describing education as a shared responsibility critical to the development of the state and the nation at large
Earlier, Mr Ian Attefield, a representative of the British High Commission, said UK development partners and NGOs would work closely with the Katsina Government to address the challenges of out-of-school children and strengthen Almajiri/Tsangaya education.
Attefield said the partnership was aimed at scaling up access to education and improving learning outcomes, particularly among children facing barriers to formal education.
He said the UK development partners would continue to collaborate with the state government and relevant stakeholders to support efforts to improve the education sector.
The programme is expected to strengthen collaboration among government, development partners, communities, teachers, and other stakeholders in expanding access to quality education in Katsina.