President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of retired Brig. Gen. Lawal Ja’afaru-Isa as Executive Secretary of the new National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education.

This is contained in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Friday in Abuja.

Ja’afaru-Isa, a respected leader, was Military Administrator of Kaduna State from 1993 to 1996.

He will replace the pioneer executive Secretary of the commission, Sha’aban Sharada, who was appointed to the position by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu urged him to ensure the realisation of the administration’s drive to guarantee comprehensive education for the out-of-school children.

The commission was established to provide a multi-modal system of education for the millions of children not attending school in Nigeria.

At least one out of three children in Nigeria are out of school, with about 10.2 million of them at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary school level.

According to UNICEF, 12.4 million children never attended school and 5.9 million left school early.

UNICEF further said Nigeria’s out of school population accounts for 15% of the global total with more than 50% of girls not attending school in basic education level.

Meanwhile, the President has approved the appointment of Alhaji Tijani Hashim-Abbas, the Sarkin Sudan of Kano, as his Senior Special Assistant on Chieftaincy Matters.

The President urged the new appointees to bring in their vast experience to impact the very core of society.