The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) said that 4000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) would be enrolled into the just launched transitional learning centre.

The federal commissioner of NCFRMI, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim disclosed this while launching the transitional learning centre on Thursday in Abuja.

Ms Sulaiman-Ibrahim said that the initiative was part of the ongoing intervention under its ‘Project Educate All’.

She said the commission had engaged 54 instructors from the IDP hosting communities to serve as facilitators.

“We are pleased to announce that 4,000 learners between the ages of five and 18 will benefit from this phase of our programme in eight IDP camps located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Nassarawa State.

“These camps include New Kuchingoro, Takuchara, Karamajiji, Wassa, Waru, New Karshi, Malaysian Garden, and Yimutu, with 700 pupils already enrolled.

“Furthermore, to ensure the success of this initiative, we have engaged 54 instructors from the IDP hosting communities to serve as facilitators, ” she said.

According to her, this engagement has not only provided much-needed employment in these communities but also allowed us to prioritize the localisation of our interventions and promote the sustainability of the programme.

She acknowledged that education played a fundamental role in promoting peaceful coexistence, adding that lack of it during displacement could have severe social and economic consequences for both displaced and host communities.

She further explained that having access to education during crisis was imperative with over 52 per cent of the 69 million displaced individuals globally under 18.

She noted that displacement crises were increasingly protracted and often affect the time a child took to grow, develop, and prepare for adult life.

“Despite significant improvements in enrolment access to education over the last ten years, most children living in conflict-affected contexts are often left behind.

“We must not forget that education is a fundamental human right, and the right to quality education should not stop because of conflict and displacement.

“Children must be able to go to school, learn in a safe environment, and be given a chance to develop their full potential, whether they live in an IDP camp, a makeshift settlement, a town, or are still on the move.

“It is important to stress that education is a right enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Children and a collective responsibility of all stakeholders”, she added.

(NAN)