Humanitarian Ministry Partners Commission Promote Nomadic Education

The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development,  Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo mni, NPOM, has expressed the Ministry’s interest in partnering with the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) in the training and empowerment of nomads in the country.

According to a statement from Rhoda Ishaku Iliya,Deputy Director Information of the Ministry on Friday, 14th April, 2023, the Permanent Secretary made this known during the Submission of Concept Note by the Commission on Workshop for the Critiquing and Production of Training manuals for Nomadic Youth on Skills acquisition and sustainable livelihoods, held in the Ministry’s Conference Room, in Abuja.

He  said the Ministry and the Commission have a lot to do in the training and empowerment of nomads in the country and commended the effort of the Commission  on the production of the training manuals for nomadic youth on skills acquisition and sustainable livelihood. He said there was need for a stakeholder buy-in of the maual “It is not just to critique the document  but have a stakeholder buy-in”.

Dr Gwarzo revealed that the Commission has a Radio Station that could be used to air the activities and programmes of the Ministry to the remotest communities in the country.

He also acknowledged the presence of trained man power in the commission that could be used to reduce banditry and insurgency.

He enjoined the commission to collaborate with the Ministry’s departments and agencies in relevant areas and called on  the experts in the Nomadic Commission to work with the Ministry in order to have a plan of action, get a framework and a committee formed for a more positive result.

The National Coordinator National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) Dr Umar Bindir earlier stated that NSIP was introduced in the year 2016 and serves as the backbone of the Ministry to cater for the poor and the vulnerable.

He highlighted the 4 clusters of NSIP which include National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, GEEP, CCT, and N-Power and the activities/successes achieved. He said the Programme is geared towards poverty alleviation.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education, Prof. Bashir H. Usman, said the Commission came into existence in 1989 for the education of Nomads, pastoralists, migrants and fish farmers. He intimated that there have been changes in their operation due to climate change and insecurity which made them to review their laws in response to emerging issues.

This he said gave birth to classes for the education of the nomads. He further informed that the Commission has established 3 new Skill Acquisition Centres.

Usman further informed that their visit is hinged on the need for the Commission to  partner with the Ministry and Critique the training manual on nomadic education.

In the same vein, the Director, Skill Development in the Commission, Dr Abdu Umar Ardo said that the Commission conducted needs assessment with the pastoralists and the youth and came up with the need to train them on the following: Peace and Conflict Management; Modern Method of Cattle and Dairy production; Training the youth in ICT, phone repairs, POS, money transfer; Bee keeping ;  Fish farming and Entrepreneurship skills.

He expressed optimism that the Ministry will support the Commission in the area of funding to critique the training manual before usage so that they will know the methodology to use in the training.

According to him the training of the pastoralists is to bridge the gap in nomadic education, minimise youth restiveness, inclusion of nomads in  National Social Register for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.

The event was  attended by the Directors of the Ministry and the National Commission for Nomadic Education.