CITAD Steps In as Crisis Hits Nomadic School in Bauchi Community

(Kondawa Nomadic School. Photo by Punvh News)

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has intervened at Kondawa Nomadic School in the Jama'are Local Government Area of Bauchi State, distributing 100 school uniforms and learning materials to pupils while also recruiting three new teachers to address a severe shortage of staff at the institution.

The initiative, carried out on Thursday, was designed to benefit the nomadic school community and the several settlements it serves.

CITAD's Executive Director, Y.Z. Ya'u, who was represented at the event by Isah Garba, said the effort was part of a broader push to expand educational access in remote and underserved communities, with a particular focus on the nomadic Fulani population.

He stressed that basic educational support is critical to improving school attendance among mobile communities, and warned that limited access to education remains a contributing factor to insecurity in parts of the country.

He further argued that sustained investment in learning can shield young people from criminal influence.

Ya'u noted that the Jama'are intervention is one of several projects CITAD has implemented across Northern Nigeria.

He referenced a previous effort in the Shara community of Sumaila Local Government Area in Kano State, where the organisation's advocacy over the absence of a primary school helped prompt government action and ultimately led to the establishment of one.

He also recalled a similar intervention at Bakin Kamanda Nomadic School in the Danshoshiya community of Kiru Local Government Area in Kano State, where pupils received uniforms and learning materials.

The Education Secretary of Jama'are Local Government Area, Shuaibu Umar, welcomed the intervention and called on the newly recruited teachers to take their responsibilities seriously and discharge their duties with dedication.

He described CITAD's support as coming at just the right time, saying it would boost enrolment figures and improve learning outcomes across nomadic communities in the area.

The Emir of Jama'are, Nuhu Wabi, represented by the District Head of Gilar and Gongo, Alhaji Wada, also praised CITAD's contributions to nomadic education in Northern Nigeria and called on both local and international non-governmental organisations to partner with the organisation on similar educational and humanitarian projects.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of deeply concerning conditions at the school.

Established roughly eight years ago by the National Commission for Nomadic Education to serve communities including Kwandawa, Digawa, Yangamai Ayas, Kundi, Dolede, Talba, and Gundumi, the school was built to accommodate over 100 pupils but has been operating well below capacity.

Until the latest recruitment, a single teacher had been responsible for all classes.

The school's physical infrastructure has also deteriorated badly, with collapsed walls, damaged roofing, vandalised classrooms, and an overgrown compound creating an unsafe environment.

These conditions have contributed to irregular attendance, with many pupils opting instead to engage in grazing and farming activities.