By Adamu Muhammad Dodo
The PeriSuccesScope beams her searchlight on Kaduna; particularly, focussing on the activities, achievements and challenges of the National Commission for Nomadic Education. Prof Bashir Haruna Usman is the Executive Secretary of the Commission; currently
reappointed to serve for the second term of five years. His appointment to the Commission followed the expiration of his tenure as Vice Chancellor, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, the present Modibbo Adama University, MAU Yola, Adamawa State, northeast Nigeria. He remained victorious in addressing rather persuasively, intelligently, the antagonism that greeted the renaming of the institution from Federal University of Technology to Modibbo Adama University of Technology. The pullo (herdman, cowboy) indigene of Gombe state, northeast Nigeria, Prof Bashir has indeed proven to be an excellent educationist and administrator; a pride to the herdsmen, to the Bubayeros, to the Bn Fodio as a movement and philosophy, to the north and indeed the country as a whole. He speaks to the Periscope Global of his first tenure, which he served from August 2016 to July, 2021; What’s the spirit behind his success defeating plethora of challenges?
Excerpt:
PERISCOPE: There’s no need for a detailed introduction because your popularity speaks volume. you’re recently reappointment as the Executive Secretary of the NCNE. Prof, what in summary can you say could have contributed to your reappointment, which of course we already know, the Grace of God is the primary?
PROF BASHIR: The National Commission for Nomadic Education and the implementation as well as the delivery of the Nomadic Education Programme (NEP) has witnessed some giant strides and made landmark achievements under my stewardship from August 2016 to July 2021, which ensured the strategic planning and systematic implementation of policies and programmes of NEP, making it more responsive for the 21st century generation boost,
thereby ensuring that there is a cardinal link between goals/objectives of NEP and implementation of key projects and programmes.
PERISCOPE: Let’s talk about the giant strides and landmark achievements under your stewardship.
PROF BASHIR: I would have wished that you go round to find out yourself; you’ve seen some already though, you’re going to verify others…
PERISCOPE: Prof, we need a lead, you tell us, then we go to the field to find out, which of course will mean going round the country as nomads would.
PROF BASHIR: (Smiles) Well! Some of the documented milestones attained under my stewardship as the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Nomadic Education include, acquiring a permanent head office complex for the
Commission:
The Commission hitherto to my appointment had been (the last 25 years) operating on rented office accommodation. As a consequence, the operation of the NCNE was not fully grounded administratively, as it lacked a permanent office complex for its operational base and had over the years, continued in a cycle of transhumance (nomadism) from one troubling rented office accommodation to another. The absence of permanent and befitting office and lack of a stable working environment had continued to impinge on staff morale, productivity and operational efficiency.
It was not long after I took over the mantle of leadership that I saw the need to acquire a permanent and befitting Head office accommodation complex for the Commission and within the first one year, we were able to accomplish this great feat and today, the Commission is well housed in an exquisite and well-furnished state-of -the-art office complex. This historic and accelerated development was achieved following the unwavering support of the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu who graciously approved for the allocation of the office complex at the Defunct National Educational Technology Centre, Kaduna.
We were equally allocated (21) twenty-one units of houses at the National Open University of Nigeria, Kaduna Study Centre. This achievement has taken the Commission to an
unprecedented summit and occupying an enviable position amongst other sister parastatals in the Education Ministry.
More importantly, today, we are sharing these offices with NBAIS and are housing NMEC North West Zonal office as well as UBEC Kaduna State office.
PERISCOPE: Impressive
PROF BASHIR: ESTABLISHMENT OF A ROBUST AND EXPANDED ADMINISTRATIVE
STRUCTURE: On assumption of office, I reinvigorated and expanded the Administrative Structure of the Commission to address emerging needs and reposition the Commission to improve its operational efficiency towards meeting its goals and objectives. Accordingly, in response to the demand for the provision of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Skills for the nomads, new Departments of Extension Education and Skills Development and Social Mobilisation and Women Development were established.
In the same vein a Directorate of Special Duties was established under the Office of the Executive Secretary to effectively coordinate activities of Sections and Units under the Executive Secretary’s office.
Similarly, following the plethora of security challenges associated with the farmer- herder conflicts with all its attendant consequences to loss of life, destruction of school’s infrastructure, teaching and learning resources, disruption of academic activities, heightened cases of insecurity, a Partnership Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit was established for the
promotion of peace-building and constructive engagement of the farmers and herders for improved relations and ensure effective management and amicable resolutionof conflicts. Furthermore, as part of measures to step up resource mobilisation and utilisation through the improvement of internally generated revenue base for the Commission, I established a Consultancy and Outreach Unit. All the above expansions were achieved in collaboration with the Governing Board of the Commission under the distinguished Chairmanship of Prof. Gidado Tahir.
Today, plans are also underway to further create additional departments, section and units in response to the clarion call for the revitalisation and strengthening of the Commission in view of increasing demand for improved servicedelivery as well as taking cognisance of contemporary issuesthat are very compelling for the reinvigoration of the programme towards addressing diverse livelihood issues and developmental imperativesof the 21st Century for the nomads in a globally intertwined and competitivemodern economy.
PERISCOPE: Interesting.
PROF BASHIR: INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING AND HUMAN CAPITAL
DEVELOPMENT: Before my appointment in 2016 there was gross inadequacy of manpower in terms of number of personnel recruitment and deployment at both the Headquarters and across the six zonal offices in the country. This resulted in very thin distribution of personnel across departments, sections and units, thus placing great burden on the existing workforce in effectively and efficiently discharging their assigned task. As part of strategic efforts to ensure institutional strengthening and improve human capital development to scale up the delivery of quality services, I superintended over a thinktank from all the departments that carefully undertook SWOT Analysis in terms of personnel requirements and capacity gaps, as well as periodic upgrades to boost staff morale who are motivated by this advancement and career progression. Based on the evidenced outcomes I ensured the recruitmentand deployment of additional personnel, capacity development of staff through periodic capacity development and in-service training.
* 80 Personnel recruited and deployed
* 151 members of staff promoted /upgraded to various cadres
* 23 staff sponsored for in-service trainings
PERISCOPE: Fantastic
PROF BASHIR: IMPROVED AND DIVERSIFIED FUNDING PATTERN FOR THE
COMMISSION: Over the years, securing funding for the implementation of Nomadic Education Programme (NEP) has been an intriguing matter. On assumption of office, I changed the funding equation and dynamics of the commission through accessing diversified funds by leveraging funding support from other sources that were hitherto untapped for an improved implementation and delivery of Nomadic Education Programme (NEP). In the last 5 years, we were able to maintain good institutional linkages and thus ensured additional funding from the National Assembly under the Constituency Projects for the implementation of Key Projects and Programmes for the Nomads. Under this initiative the following key
interventions were accomplished between 2016 and 2020 using
constituency and zonal intervention funds from Legislators in the National Assembly. The interventions had far reaching impacts on access, quality and empowering communities for sustainable livelihoods on poverty reduction and peace-building:
* 178 Classrooms were constructed
* 2 Classrooms were rehabilitated
* 1 Borehole was drilled
* 17 Motorcycles were procured and distributed
* 30 Tricycles were procured and distributed
* 150 Water Pumping Machines were procured and distributed
* 150 Sewing Machine were procured and distributed
* 150 Hair Dressing Machines were procured and distributed
* Provided Solar Powered Energy for the entire Head Office Complex
* Constructed Administrative Blocks in 3 JS Schools.
* 80 NCNE Personnel trained on Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and
Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) Technology and
KoboCollect Software.
* Generated-evidenced based data from 12 Grazing Reserves on Farmer-Herder Relations and developed training manual on Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Today, the financial resources of the Commission though not adequate but has steadily improved from other sources and have augmented the phenomenal paltry annual budgetary allocation to the Commission for the
implementation and delivery of NEP, which require huge and sustained capital outlay for its successful implementation.
PROF BASHIR: PROVISION OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND FACILITIES UNDER CAPITAL PROJECTS AND
UNIVERSAL BASIC
EDUCATION COMMISSION (UBEC) INTERVENTIONS:
The NCNE has witnessed a tremendous improvement in the provision of critical infrastructural facilities as part of efforts to improve the working environment for the personnel towards optimizing operational efficiency and boosting the learning environment aimed at improving access and quality of tuition with an
overall objectives of stepping up enrollment, retention, progression,
completion and transition as well as stemming the proliferation of Out-of School Children. These giant strides under my leadership has laid solid building blocks which has made the implementation of NEP more responsive for the 21st century.
On assumption of office, I undertook a comprehensive situation analysis of the Commission and squarely located the leakages and gaps, which guided the systematic deployment of the physical and spatial enablers that turnaround and revitalised the face of the programme and the commission today.
Consequently, landmarks achievements were recorded using our capital and UBEC intervention funds during the period under review.
These include:
* Three blocks of Office Complex Rehabilitated at the Commission’s Headquarters.
* Constructed a perimeter fence around the Commission Headquarters
* Constructed a state-of-the-art Skills Acquisition Centre at the
Commission’s Head Office Complex.
* 12 classrooms constructed
* 168 classrooms rehabilitated
* 18 Hand Pump Boreholes drilled
* 12 project/utility vehicles procured
* Rehabilitated and equipped state -of-the-art Recording and
Transmission Radio Studios
* 200 laptops procured and distributed to staff to strengthen ICT
penetration and deployment
* Exquisite office equipment and furniture procured and installed
* Trained 360 Nomadic Youth on Skills Acquisition and Sustainable
Livelihoods.
* Formed and Trained 82 Women Groups on Sensitisation and
Mobilisation Campaign for the Promotion of Girl Child Education.
* Developed the Capacity of 364 Heads of Nomadic School Based Management Committees.
* Developed the Capacity of 420 selected nomadic pastoralists on various Skills along the Livestock Value Chain.
PROF BASHIR: RESEARCH SUPPORT; CONDUCT OF TRACER STUDIES ON
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
NOMADIC EDUCATION
PROGRAMME: Curiously, over the last 30 years, there has been very disturbing probes by the general public on the tangible and verifiable attainments recorded towards the implementation of NEP, which is largely funded by public funds. The need for credible and evidenced based data to justify the three decades of the cyclical annual budgetary provision and spent became very sacrosanct to restore public confidence that the programme is making the requisite in-routes towards attaining its laudable objectives.
Accordingly, management under my leadership pioneered the conduct of Tracer Studies on the implementation of Nomadic Education Programme across the over 4,026 nomadic schools spread across the 36 states and FCT. The evidenced based data generated is being analysed for dissemination to all stakeholders and subsequently made accessible to the general public for informed judgment. However, preliminary findings have given good insight on the attainment recorded in the last 30 years of the implementation of NEP and graduates of the programme are in different fields of human endeavour, thus making far reaching impacts and meaningful contributions towards national growth and development in the country.
PROF BASHIR: REVITALIZATION OF ACTIVITIES AT NOMADIC EDUCATION UNIVERSITY BASED CENTRES: The commission had established four University Based centres at the University of Jos, University of Maiduguri, Usman Danfodio University and University of Port Harcourt.
The University of Jos centre is in-charge of Research and Evaluation for education of Nomadic Pastoralist, Usman Danfodio University Sokoto centre is responsible for Curricula and Textual MaterialsDevelopment, while University of Maiduguri centre is specifically saddled with the task of Teacher Training and Outreach Services. The University of Port-Harcourt centre is in-charge of Research and Evaluation, Curriculaand Textual Materials Development and Teacher Training and OutreachServices for the education of Migrant Fisher-folks and farmers.
Having recognized the pivotal role and the urgent need to revitalize the activities at the Nomadic Education University Based Centers, which were at low ebb due to paucity of funds when I took over the mantle of leadership, Management and I interacted with the centres and got them to
submit their 2020-2024 NEP Action Plan.
Arising from this, a proposal was submitted through the Vice Chancellors to Tertiary Education Trust Fund for funding of activities at these centres.
PROF BASHIR: ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
MECHANISM: In pursuing the objectives of UBE, which call for an enriched curricula in several dimensions towards laying the foundation for life-long learning and during the period under review under my guidance, the Commission had taken informed actions in the area of curricula and textual materials production and distribution to Nomadic Schools in the country in all subject areas. During the period of my stewardship from 2016 to date the commission was able to produce and distribute 22,716 textual materials in Mathematics, Basic Science and Technology and Islamic Studies using UBEC Intervention funds while 112,462 copies of Islamic Religious Studies, Christian Religious Studies, Agricultural Science Home Economics, Physical Health Education, Prevocational studies and Basic science and Technology were produced and distributed to various Nomadic Schools using Capital funds.
The Commission has also initiated and concluded the adaptation of the already reviewed national core curricula in history, national values (social studies, civic and security education), Islamic and Christian religious studies developed by Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC). The adapted curricula would soon be critiqued and use in developing textbooks for our teaming nomadic pupils.
Series of Teacher Capacity Development Workshops were equally organized aimed at broadening their understanding of the use of the curricula and effective classroom delivery to improve learning outcomes. A total of 500 head teachers and teachers had benefited from the different
levels of training conducted between 2016 to 2020 across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
In the same vein in-spite of the paucity of funds the Commission had vigorously and consistently ensured periodic monitoring and evaluation and Monitoring of Learning Achievements within the limits of available resources as part of strategies to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of NEP. Based on the basic and supporting data generated, we would make appropriate recommendations on necessary adjustments and remediation where applicable for the attainment of the objectives of the programme. The exercise has been carried out sustainably in collaboration with relevant ministries, agencies and departments in states and Local Governments. These activities were carried out swiftly and efficiently and, in a cost effective manner.
PERISCOPE: Interesting!Prof, tell us more about the Commission’s radio station.
PROF BASHIR: ACQUISITION OF RADIO
BROADCAST LICENSE
FOR COMMISSION’S RADIO STATION TAGGED “RADIO ZAMANU INTERNATIONAL”
The visibility of the Commission in the public space had continued to slide down in the last two decades in terms of both public awareness and enlightenment on its mandate and programmatic achievements. This was further compounded by the plethora of crises arising from the farmer- herder imbroglio with all the attendant consequences.
On assumption of office and burdened with the negative public perception on the implementation of NEP and fading public interest on the relevance as well as on the existence of the Commission, I took a bold step towards restoring
public confidence and awareness on the core mandate of the organisation.
In doing this, Management and I rekindled the lofty idea of establishing a radio station for the Commission, which lingered for over 20 years and achieved a breakthrough by graciously securing approval from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the establishment of an AM Radio Broadcasting License (Frequency Channel 720 KHz and a bandwidth of 9KHz) for an initial period of five years from October 2018 to October 2023.
The Broadcast would be carried out in English Language, Hausa, fulfulde and Pidgin English, targeting the three categories of our group namely; the Nomadic Pastoralists, Migrant Fisherfolk and Migrant Farmers.
So far, we have completed a state-of-the art recording/production and trans mission/broadcast studios preparatory to the take-off of the Commission’s Radio Station tagged “Radio Zamanu International”.
The importance of the radio station when completed in mobilization, sensitization, promoting peace-building and mitigating the farmer-herder conflicts as well as addressing the associated national security challenges is crystal clear. Equally important to note is that the radio station will serve as a platform for disseminating valuable information regarding government policies and programme that would specifically target farmer-herder conflicts and rural banditry with a view to educating the nomads to deepen the implementation of the Nomadic Education programme and changing the negative perception of the general public on the nomads and their occupationa and foster national integration.
In addition, the advantage and centrality of the radio station is indisputable as a veritable tool for mediated teaching and learning with the advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic where face-to-face teacher-learners interactivity is largely impaired.
PERISCOPE: So inspiring.
PROF BASHIR: STRENGTHENING COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH
GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS: On assumption of office in 2016, I accorded prominence to the
strengthening of collaboration and partnerships with both government and non-governmental organisations towards advancing the course of the nomads in the country. The commission and I remained focused and dogged in-spite of the hues and cries on the pioneering Federal Government initiative of adopting a broad-based National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP). We worked in concert with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) towards modernizing the livestock industry in tandem with the 21st century global best practices, which will address the demand and supply gap for both dairy and beef for the country.
Following the outstanding contribution of the Commission under my leadership and during the formative stages of the NLTP, the FMARD was quick in recognising the potential and pivotal role of the Commission towards the design and implementation of the NLTP and accordingly the Commission was saddled with the responsibility of the development and
implementation of the Information Education and Strategic Communication (IESC) Pillar. Following this development, the Commission took proactive
steps and made ground-breaking successes as the first organisation in the country to undertake the identification, mapping and clustering of pastoralists settlements in 12 grazing reserves in the 7 conflict frontline states covering Kaduna, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Gombe using the Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) Technology interlaced with
verifiable evidenced-based data for informed planning.
Similarly, worried by the low level of literacy amongst the nomads in the country, we are pioneering a collaborative initiative with Kano State Agency for Mass Education (KNSAME) towards providing functional literacy programmes for the nomads in Kano State targeting both male and female adult nomads across the 44 local government areas of the state. In the same vein, I facilitated and entered into a collaboration and partnership agreementbetween the Commission and Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) a five-year Program being implementedby Sahel Consulting (Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates) Foundation in Adamawa, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Plateau States. The ultimate goal is aimed at catalysing a vibrant local dairy sector in an inclusive way that improves the livelihoods, productivity, nutrition and empowerment of smallholder women dairy farmers and the communities in which they live as well as enhance livestock development.
In another development, the Commission under my watch is equally leveraging on the broad-based nature and community level penetration of Non-Governmenta Organisations (NGOs) towards mounting programmes and projects for the nomads aimed at addressing the problems relating to the preponderance of the Out -of-School-Children (OOSC) which is one of the key pillars under the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP). In this regard, the Commission has recently forged collaboration with a pastoral NGO known as Jamdere Fulbe Development Association in Nigeria (JAFDAN) and agreed to mount programmes that would address concerns relating to literacy, numeracy and learning outcomes, which were identified as driving factors impeding enrolment, retention, progression, completion and transition of nomadic children. The modalities for implementing a pilot
intervention programme in Bauchi and Gombe states is being worked out.
PROF BASHIR: PIONEERING THE REVIEW OF NCNE ACT TO EXPAND SCOPE,
MANDATE AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK: The Act N.20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 establishing the National Commission for Nomadic Education was coupled 30 years ago and over the three decades of implementation of NEP certain provisions under the act are no longer tenable and on the other hand contemporary realities have made it compelling to integrate new provisions to effect the programme implementation relevant and consistent with both the educational and existential needs of the nomads. The programme is
currently besieged with a number of implementation challenges and one of such relates to the recurrent
farmer -herder crises with all its attendant consequences relating to
loss of lives, productive assets, threat to national security and stability. Considering the milestones already attained by the Commission in dealing with matters relating to the nomads, it would be more appropriate if the NCNE is
strengthened, its mandate
expanded to integrate the accelerated settlement of nomads in designated grazing reserves with
back up to provide all the required facilities and amenities and the
human capital component that will stimulate their gradual settlement, which will serve as an immediate quick win intervention in reducing the incidences and ultimately addressing the farmer-herder crises in the country. The practical gains on this could be seen almost immediately if the requisite institutionaframework is put in place considering the crop of well experienced personnel and evidenced based institutional expertise garnered over the years in dealing with the complexities of the nomads.
Similarly, in view of the central role and contribution of the nomads in the national economy, the current predicament of the nomads should be accorded serious attention it deserves and one of the surest ways of guaranteeing improved and continuous access to quality basic education by Nigeria’s hard-to-reach nomadic communities is through improved funding, expand the mandate and strengthening the institutional framework for the management and implementation of the NEP. There is thus the immediate need to undertake the onerous task of critically reviewing the Act with a view to expanding the mandate and strengthen the delivery of the programme.
Following the inauguration of 9-Member Stakeholder Review Committee activities leading to the review of the NCNE Act has gathered considerable
momentum towards producing a draft Constitutive Act for submission to the National Assembly for the commencement of due processes culminating to the passage of the Revised Act. It is envisaged that the successful completion of the review is expected to place the implementation of NEP on the path of sustainable development.
PERISCOPE: The scorecard, to say the least, is indeed fascinating. These successes recorded withing just five years, in spite of nomadic insecurity, the constraints occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, among other challenges…
PROF BASHIR: Well! As I’ve mentioned earlier, the success is a collective undertaking; the government, stakeholders and you the Journalists have all contributed to the success story. May I seize this opportunity to thank the Honorable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and the Permanent Secretary FME Architect Sonny S.T.Echono for their continuous support, relentless efforts and interventions towards the delivery of NEP, which has immeasurably accorded the Commission its pride of place amongst other sister
parastatals in the education sector. This has no doubt brought about remarkable improvements in providing unfettered access to basic
education for the hard- to- reach and educationally disadvantaged nomadic populations in the country. This is a clear demonstration of the unwavering commitment of the present administration under the able and purposeful leadership of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces in ensuring equalisation of democratic dividends to all Nigerians. May I equally extend my appreciation to the Governing Board of NCNE Chaired by Prof Gidado TAHIR, Management Members and Staff of the
Commission, for their sustained support and guidance while I was holding forth as the Executive Secretary of the Commission.
PERISCOPE: Now having been reappointed, how do you intend to carry out the assignment?
PROF BASHIR: As usual, to seek for Allah’s guidance and face the challenges head-on building on the previous achievements. Lest I forget, your news report on Ardo Kaku nomadic school in a Fulani settlement at a village in Fufore local government area of Adamawa state, established by an NGO called FUDECO, will be given desired attention. The Commission is currently working out the possibilities for intervention.
PERISCOPE: That’s a compliment. Thanks for accepting to be interviewed.
PROF BASHIR: You’re welcome; weldon.