By Jamilu Abubakar

Gombe State Government says it is targeting 200,000 out-of-school children for enrolment between 2026 and 2027, while introducing digital literacy programmes to make learning more attractive and relevant to children.

The Chairman of the Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Hassan Bello, disclosed this while speaking on the state’s collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on digital literacy and improved learning outcomes.

Bello said the state had, in collaboration with UNICEF, established 10 digital literacy centres across different Local Government Areas, with more than 1,000 learners targeted for training in computer appreciation and robotics skills.

He said the initiative was part of efforts to “catch children young” and expose them to digital skills that would prepare them for the future.

According to him, the availability of computers and other digital learning opportunities in schools could encourage out-of-school children to return to the classroom.

Bello said the state government would expand the number of digital literacy centres to accommodate more learners and increase access to technology-based education.

He commended UNICEF for its support and collaboration, saying the partnership had contributed to improving learning outcomes among pupils and students in the state.

The UNICEF Education Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, Abdulrahman Ado, said the initiative was introduced under the “Catch Them Young” approach to bridge learning gaps during school holidays.

Ado said many children were left without structured learning activities when schools closed, making the digital literacy programme an opportunity to keep them engaged while developing their skills.

He said UNICEF had identified facilitators in schools and provided them with extensive training to enable them to train learners in computer appreciation and robotics.

Ado explained that digital literacy was particularly important as examinations were increasingly becoming computer-based.

He said UNICEF was also supporting Gombe State in artificial intelligence, stressing that children needed basic digital knowledge to take advantage of emerging technologies.

Ado added that digital literacy had been embedded into the school curriculum and that training would continue during every summer holiday.

He said the 10 centres could be expanded in the future to accommodate more learners across the state.

Professor Bello further commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for supporting SUBEB through the provision of learning materials, infrastructure and a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

He said combining efforts to bring children back to school with access to digital skills would strengthen basic education and better prepare children for future technological advancement.

By Our Political Reporter

The Director-General of the Gombe South State House of Assembly Campaign Organisation in Gombe Local Government Area, Alhaji Lawan Yusuf, has condoled with the people of Bolari over the death of their District Head, Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar.

Alhaji Lawan Yusuf described the death of the traditional ruler as a painful loss to the people of Bolari, Gombe Local Government Area and the traditional institution, urging the community to remain united and pray for the repose of the deceased’s soul.

He expressed sympathy to the family of the late District Head, as well as relatives, community leaders and residents who are mourning his passing.

According to him, the late Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar played an important role in maintaining peace, unity and community development during his lifetime.

The campaign Director-General also announced the postponement of the planned Mega Empowerment Programme being organised by the Gombe South State House of Assembly aspirant, Hon. Jabiru Saleh Kilawa, following the death of the Bolari District Head.

He explained that the empowerment programme, which was initially scheduled to take place soon, has been postponed until further notice out of respect for the deceased and the mourning community.

Alhaji Lawan Yusuf said a new date and time for the programme would be communicated to members of the public once a fresh arrangement has been concluded.

He appealed to supporters, beneficiaries and members of the public who were expected to attend the empowerment programme to remain patient and await the official announcement of the new date.

The Director-General prayed to Almighty Allah to forgive the shortcomings of the late District Head, grant him eternal rest and give his family and the people of Bolari the strength to bear the loss.

A new date for the Mega Empowerment Programme will be communicated to the public in due course.

By Abubakar Muhammad Tukur

The Gombe State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, has organized a stakeholders’ validation workshop to review and validate three key plans developed to strengthen the implementation of the NG-SURWASH Programme in the state.

The workshop, held under the NG-SURWASH Programme, brought together key stakeholders from the water, sanitation and hygiene sector to critically examine the documents, make observations and provide inputs before their adoption for implementation.

The three documents are the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Human Resource Management Plan, and Operations and Maintenance Plan.

Declaring the workshop open, the General Manager of RUWASSA, Engr. Mohammed Gibrimu Ahmed, said the exercise was designed to ensure that the plans reflected the realities and needs of stakeholders involved in the implementation of the programme.

Engr. Gibrimu appreciated stakeholders for their continued commitment and support towards the implementation of NG-SURWASH activities in Gombe State.

He urged participants to actively participate in the review sessions, stressing that their contributions, observations and requests for clarification would help improve the quality and relevance of the documents.

According to him, the plans would serve as reliable working documents after incorporating stakeholders’ inputs and securing their collective ownership and acceptance.

The General Manager explained that the three plans were developed to strengthen institutional and human capacity while improving the effective and sustainable implementation of the NG-SURWASH Programme.

Also speaking, the NG-SURWASH Programme Coordinator, Gombe State Project Coordination Unit, Engr. Usman Abubakar Aliyu, congratulated participants for being part of the validation exercise.

He urged them to redouble their efforts towards gaining a deeper understanding of the various components of the programme, saying such knowledge would contribute to achieving the expected results.

The Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Environmental Protection Agency, GOSEPA, Dr. Auwalu Baba Jada, called for stronger teamwork and collaboration among the implementing agencies and other stakeholders.

Dr. Jada said the agencies were complementary and that effective cooperation would lead to more coordinated, harmonious and sustainable outcomes in the WASH sector.

He also commended the NG-SURWASH Programme Coordinator for his continuous support and guidance to the implementing agencies.

Participants at the workshop included RUWASSA staff, Local Government Area WASH Coordinators, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers from Akko, Balanga, Dukku, Kwami, Kaltungo, Shongom, Nafada and Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Areas.

Members of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committees, WASHCOMs, from the participating LGAs also attended the exercise.

To facilitate the technical sessions, RUWASSA engaged experienced resource persons to guide participants through the three documents and explain their practical application.

Assoc. Prof. Adamu Jibir, Technical Assistant on Social Safeguards at the SPCU, presented the objectives, expected outcomes and approach of the workshop.

Dr. Lukman Shiji Sadiq presented the Standard Operating Procedure, while Dr. Musa Abdu of Gombe State University handled the Human Resource Management Plan developed by RUWASSA.

The Operations and Maintenance Plan was presented by Dr. Abubakar Umar Yuguda, Technical Assistant on Environmental Safeguards and Environmental Specialist.

Participants who spoke during the workshop commended RUWASSA and the NG-SURWASH Programme for organizing the validation exercise.

They pledged to contribute meaningfully to the review and validation process, noting that the three plans would help strengthen institutional capacity, improve programme coordination and support more effective implementation of WASH interventions across the state.

The workshop featured interactive discussions, stakeholders’ observations and contributions on the three documents, technical presentations and a group photograph.

The validation exercise is expected to pave the way for the adoption of the three plans as practical reference documents for strengthening institutional capacity and ensuring more effective and sustainable delivery of the NG-SURWASH Programme in Gombe State.