The Gombe State government has cautioned parents that refusing to enroll their children in school could attract a two-month jail term or heavy fines.

The warning was issued by the Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Babaji Babadidi, during the launch of the 2025/2026 enrollment drive campaign in Akko Local Government Area. The initiative, organized by SUBEB in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and UNICEF, is aimed at reducing the state’s high out-of-school population.

Babadidi explained that the campaign targets at least 400,000 new enrollments across the state. He urged parents to support the program, stressing that refusal to comply would be punishable under the law.

He said, “The program cannot succeed without the cooperation of parents. Those who refuse to comply with the policy will be punished in line with Section 19 of the SUBEB Amendment Law 2021, which mandates parents to ensure their children complete primary and secondary education.”

The Commissioner for Education, Aishatu Maigari, also raised concerns about the state’s education gap, noting that over 700,000 children remain out of school out of a population of about four million. She urged parents to take advantage of the state’s free education policy.

She warned, “The government has invested substantially in education, and such investment will be wasted if parents fail to utilise the free education program.