The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has partnered with traditional rulers and religious leaders to identify out-of-school children and facilitate their enrolment in schools across the country.

The initiative will also involve community-level monitoring of pupils’ attendance, retention and completion to prevent children from dropping out after enrolment.

The development was contained in a statement issued by the Office of the UBEC Executive Secretary on Thursday, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the commission and the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development.

Under the agreement, traditional and religious institutions will be mobilised to promote basic education, particularly in underserved communities where poverty, cultural barriers and other social challenges limit access to schooling.

The partnership will establish national, state and local coordinating committees to drive advocacy and grassroots mobilisation.

It will also involve household-level identification of out-of-school children and their enrolment in nearby schools.

Advocacy materials will be produced and distributed in Hausa, Fulfulde and Yoruba, while community leaders will be expected to encourage parents and guardians to prioritise their children’s education.

UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said addressing the out-of-school children crisis required more than government funding and infrastructure, stressing the importance of involving community leaders who influence family decisions.

She said the initiative would pay particular attention to girls, whose access to education remains restricted by social and cultural barriers in some communities.

Garba added that accountability mechanisms would be introduced to recognise communities, schools and traditional leaders that record measurable improvements in school enrolment and retention.