Community leaders, education stakeholders, parents, teachers, and pupils have reaffirmed their commitment to improving access to quality education for girls during a School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) Engagement Meeting held at Lamorde Government Primary, Junior and Senior Secondary School in Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The engagement, organized by BudgIT in partnership with the Malala Foundation under the BudgIT–Malala Project on Girl-Child Education Financing, brought together key stakeholders to discuss practical ways of addressing barriers to girls' education and strengthening community participation in school governance.

Speaking during the meeting, the BudgIT State Officer said the project seeks to promote accountability in education financing while empowering communities to take an active role in ensuring that every girl has access to quality education. The officer noted that sustainable improvements in the education sector require collaboration among government institutions, schools, parents, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, and local communities.

The event began at about 1:00 p.m. with opening prayers led by the community's Jauro and the Assistant Headteacher before the meeting was officially declared open.

Participants included the Jauro, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Chairman, the Mubi South Local Government SBMC Chairman, Local Government SBMC members, School-Based Management Committee chairmen and members, school administrators, teachers, two Basic Six pupils, and representatives of the BudgIT–Malala Project.

During the technical session, participants were introduced to the objectives of the BudgIT–Malala Project, which focuses on strengthening education financing, improving accountability in the education sector, and encouraging communities to participate actively in the planning, monitoring, and management of schools through School-Based Management Committees.

The meeting also featured an interactive discussion during which participants identified several challenges affecting girls' education in Lamorde and surrounding communities. Among the issues raised were inadequate education financing, household poverty, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, cultural practices that prioritize boys' education, poor school infrastructure, inadequate learning materials, and limited awareness among parents of the long-term benefits of educating girls.

Stakeholders shared experiences from their communities and stressed the need for stronger cooperation between schools, families, community leaders, and government agencies to address these challenges.

To develop practical solutions, participants were divided into working groups to prepare community-based action plans. The groups recommended expanding awareness campaigns on the importance of girl-child education, strengthening collaboration between schools and parents to reduce absenteeism and school dropout, supporting vulnerable girls through community initiatives, engaging traditional and religious leaders in advocacy against early marriage, improving SBMC participation in school planning and monitoring, and mobilizing local resources to complement government investment in education.

The recommendations were later presented during a plenary session, where participants reviewed the proposals, made additional contributions, and reached a consensus on priority actions for implementation.

At the close of the meeting, stakeholders renewed their commitment to supporting advocacy efforts aimed at improving education financing and expanding learning opportunities for girls across the community. They also expressed appreciation to BudgIT and the Malala Foundation for providing a platform that encourages dialogue, accountability, and community ownership of education development.

The engagement concluded with lunch and informal networking among participants, while branded souvenirs, including bags, notebooks, pens, writing material boxes, and water bottles, were distributed as appreciation gifts. A group photograph was also taken to commemorate the event.

The meeting recorded several notable outcomes, including increased awareness of the BudgIT–Malala Project, stronger collaboration among schools, parents, School-Based Management Committees, and community leaders, as well as the development of practical action plans to improve girls' enrollment, retention, and learning outcomes.

Stakeholders expressed optimism that the commitments made during the engagement would translate into concrete actions that strengthen school governance, increase community participation, and expand access to quality education for girls in Lamorde and across Mubi South Local Government Area.