By Onomiguren Agbamu
National Orientation Agency and the National Commission for Almajiri and Out of School Children are collaborating to ensure that every child of school age roaming on the street, goes back to school to acquire education which is key to upbringing of a child.
Delta State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mrs Tracy Ikolomi stated this at a media engagement, held in Asaba as part of activities to sensitize members of the public on issues of state and national importance.
Mrs Ikolomi hinted that the Delta State management team of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out of School Children had commenced discussion with her on the need to build and strengthen collaboration with a view to bringing back to school children roaming on the streets.
She noted with concern the menace posed by almajiri and out of school children, saying that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was committed to combating the ugly trend through strengthening of relevant institutions .
”The administration of President Bola Tinubu is doing its part to ensure that every child is given its rightful place. Even the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu is deeply concerned about the plights of out of school children, and it is one of her pet projects to ensure that children roaming on the streets are sent back to school”
”The National Commission for Almajiri and Out of School Children is partnering NOA Delta. When they find children roaming on the streets, they will bring them out . We in NOA will talk to them on the need for them to go to school, and be in shelter environment”
”If you look around Asaba, you see children roaming on the streets. We are stepping up sensitization to ensure that we have a better society free of children roaming on the streets, and also to ensure that they go to school”, stated Ikolomi
While sensitizing children about their right to quality education, the NOA Delta State Director urged parents, guardians and other critical stakeholders to be alive to their responsibility in upbringing of children.
She said children as future leaders require sound and quality education to give them proper footing for greater tomorrow.
According to the Delta State Director of NOA, ” We have been sensitizing children to let them know that they are important in our society, and that education is their right. Every parent must send their children to school, to make them better citizens. We are also sensitizing them not to abuse their right, as well as on the danger of social vices such as cultism, drug abuse”
On the 2025 National Children’s Day celebration, Mrs Ikolomi described the theme,”Building a Bullying Free Generation”, as apt, stressing the need for children to refrain from such bad behaviour.
She urged victims of bullying and other forms of abuses to speak up to draw the attention of relevant authorities.
”You know that we are living in a society where some people take pleasure in bullying others, and it is so rampant in our schools, and even in primary and secondary schools, you see children being bullied”.
”We in NOA are intensifying efforts in sensitizing children against bullying. It is our hope that the children will embrace the message we are disseminating especially on how to speak up; how to avert bullying and stand for what is right. The message is that no child should be bullied”, she said.
According to Mrs Ikolomi, teachers, instructors and other school workers have a great role to play in achieving a bullying free generation, insisting that they must be vigilant during school hours to ensure that no pupil is bullied.
The NOA Delta State Director who spoke extensively on achieving total wellbeing of a child through quality education and skills development, noted that the development is a step in the right direction.
She said skill acquisition had been embedded in school curriculum with pupils and students learning various skills to equip them for the future.
About the Author
