National Gender Policy: Bauchi Education Ministry, YLN Partner for Dissemination

By Khalid Idris Doya

Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria - August 22, 2025(Series News Online)

A three-day stakeholder workshop on the National Gender Policy in Education for Bauchi State has culminated in far-reaching draft decisions aimed at ensuring the adaptation, legal backing, and implementation of the policy across schools and communities. The workshop, coordinated by the Executive Director of Young Leaders Network (YLN), Mr. Seun Justin Onarinde, brought together stakeholders to discuss the policy's implementation and dissemination.

Participants at the workshop resolved that the State Ministry of Education (SMoE) and YLN should lead in publishing and widely disseminating the policy in schools, communities, and in local languages. They also agreed that civil society organisations should align all new proposals, strategies, and grant applications with the policy to ensure coherence and sustainability.

The resolutions further mandated the SMoE and other key ministries, departments, and agencies to translate the policy into practical work plans, budgets, and activities. The Commissioner for Education is expected to brief the State Executive Council and the Governor to secure political support and ownership.

Mr. Onarinde emphasized the importance of strategically engaging the media to create awareness and promote accountability. "The policy is about rewriting the future of Bauchi’s children, especially girls who are often left behind due to early marriage, teenage pregnancy, or lack of support. Investing in girls’ education is not charity, but smart economics, justice, and common sense," he said.

The Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Lawal Mohammed Rimin Zayam, described the policy as a step toward reducing the number of out-of-school children in Bauchi, noting that it aligns with ongoing Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) initiatives. He called for collective cooperation among stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.

The State Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Musa Ibrahim Ardo, commended the process as a "marvelous policy-making activity" that would help ensure children, especially girls, complete their education. He pledged that private schools would fully comply with the policy while sensitizing members on its provisions.

A Steering Committee is expected to be inaugurated immediately after the adoption of the decisions, which will oversee the implementation of the policy and ensure that its objectives are met.