The Gombe State Government has declared it will prosecute parents and guardians who fail to send their children to school
Babaji Babadidi, Chairman of the Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), made the announcement on Monday during the launch of the 2025/2026 School Enrollment Campaign in Amada, Akko Local Government Area.
He warned that parents who default could face up to two months in jail under Section 19(2) of the SUBEB Amendment Law 2021.
“Every parent must ensure their child or ward attends and completes primary, junior, and senior secondary education,” Babadidi said. “Any parent who violates Section 19(2) of the law commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to pay a fine or serve a one-month jail term. Repeat offences attract heavier fines or imprisonment for up to two months.”
He added that while the state previously encouraged school attendance through free education, failure to meet the target of enrolling 400,000 students in primary schools this session could result in strict enforcement of the law.
Commissioner for Education, Prof. Aishatu Maigari, said Gombe currently has over 700,000 out-of-school children, with the Northeast accounting for 15 per cent of Nigeria’s 18.2 million out-of-school children.
“We cannot sit idle while our children remain out of school. Every child will be enrolled, receive quality education, and learn a trade to become self-reliant,” she said, noting the state’s investment in educational resources, including exercise books, school bags, and other materials.
Maigari also commended community leaders for mobilizing parents to enroll their children. Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF Field Office Bauchi, described the high number of out-of-school children in Gombe as “alarming” and stressed every child’s right to education.
The Emir of Gona, Alhaji Umar Abdulsalam, through his representative Gadi Galadima, pledged the council’s support for the campaign and praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya for boosting investment in the education sector.
The event featured symbolic enrollment of school-age children into Primary 1 and out-of-school children into post-basic education programs, officially marking the start of the campaign.
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