The Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Kids & Teens Resource Centre, K&TRC, Mr. Martin-Mary Falana, has commended the Benue State Government for introducing new directives aimed at strengthening discipline, improving learning outcomes, and safeguarding learners’ wellbeing in schools across the state.
Falana gave the commendation on Tuesday in a statement issued in Makurdi. He said the measures announced by the Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management reflect a strong commitment to quality education, effective use of instructional hours, school discipline, learner safety, bullying prevention, as well as monitoring and quality assurance.
According to him, the new policy is essential for creating safe, focused, and productive learning environments in both public and private schools in the state.
The K&TRC CEO also expressed support for the requirement that NGOs and other external organizations obtain prior approval before implementing programmes, research, advocacy, or interventions in schools.
He noted that the directive provides an opportunity to strengthen coordination, safeguarding, and alignment of interventions with government priorities, while ensuring that school-based activities complement the formal education system.
However, Falana urged the Ministry to ensure that the approval process is clear, transparent, predictable, and timely. He called for the establishment of efficient procedures and reasonable timelines for reviewing and responding to requests.
“Timely approvals will enable NGOs to plan effectively, meet programme commitments, and maintain strong relationships with donors and development partners, particularly where interventions are supported through time-bound grants with agreed deliverables,” he said.
Falana stressed the need for continued partnership between government and Civil Society Organisations, noting that CSOs bring innovation, technical expertise, community engagement, resources, and independent perspectives that can complement government efforts.
He further encouraged the Ministry to collaborate with credible CSOs to establish or strengthen a third-party monitoring and quality assurance mechanism. According to him, such a mechanism would provide constructive feedback, identify gaps, document best practices, and support continuous improvement in schools.
The K&TRC boss added that the new policy also presents an opportunity for NGOs to strengthen their own planning by engaging authorities early, submitting complete documentation, securing approvals, aligning activities with school calendars, and ensuring interventions add measurable value without disrupting teaching and learning.
Falana commended the Benue State Government for prioritising learners’ wellbeing, safety, and educational development. He expressed the readiness of K&TRC to work with the Ministry, schools, parents, learners, CSOs, and other stakeholders to build a safe, disciplined, inclusive, and high-quality education system in Benue State
