Federal Government has said it will enroll 4,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) into Transitional Learning Centers.
The Federal Commissioner of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, spoke while launching the centre at Kuchingoro IDP Camp in Abuja on Thursday.
He noted this initiative is part of an intervention under ‘Project Educate All’, saying 4,000 learners, aged five to 18, will benefit from the initial phase in eight IDP camps at FCT and Nasarawa State.
The camps, she said, are New Kuchingoro, Takuchara, Karamajiji, Wassa, Waru, New Karshi, Malaysian Garden, and Yimutu, with 700 enrolled.
She said the commission engaged 54 instructors from the communities as facilitators.
According to her, the engagement has not only provided jobs, but also allowed the commission to prioritise localisation of its interventions and promote sustainability of the programme.
She acknowledge education is key in promoting peace, and its lack can have severe social consequences for everyone.
The commissioner added with 52 per cent of 69 million displaced individuals globally under 18, ensuring access to education during crises is imperative.
“Despite improvements in enrolment access to education over the last 10 years, most children living in conflict-affected contexts are often left behind.
“We must not forget that education is a right, and the right to quality education should not stop because of conflict and displacement.
“Children must be able to go to school, learn in safe place, and be given a chance to develop, whether in IDP camps, makeshift settlement, town, or are on the move.
“It is important to stress that education is a right enshrined in the Convention on Rights of Children and a collective responsibility of stakeholders”, she noted.
She said the commission regards education as an essential foundation for individual, social, and economic development and a pillar for equality, respect, tolerance, and dignity.
