The Niger State Government on Wednesday said it had started sponsoring 175 out-of-school children in various public primary and secondary schools in Minna.
Mairam Kolo, the Director-General of the state’s Child Rights Protection Agency disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna.
Kolo said that the agency was collaborating with the state Ministry of Education to give free education and free uniforms to the children.
She said: “The agency picked the children randomly from where they were begging and hawking in the streets.
“The aim of the agency is to protect the rights of children from being violated and ensure that they are in school.
“We send them to government schools for the public to know that public schools can produce great people.
“These children are being given the opportunity to acquire western education in an enabling environment instead of engaging in street begging and hawking.
“The government is also providing free meals in school.’’
Kolo said that the gesture was part of the government’s efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children as well as abolish street begging and hawking.
