FG attracts N19.8bn grant to raise girl-child education in North West

Due to the dwindling fortune of education in Nigeria, the Federal Government on Monday attracted $100 million (N19.8bn) from key development partners meant to advance the course of girl-child education, particularly focusing on five states in North Western Nigeria.

The five states in focus are Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto.

Rising concern on the increasing number of out of school children in Nigeria, especially in the Northern part of the country, with statistics showing North Western states as having the highest number in the region, has been a source of worry to many key stakeholders in the sector.

In this regard, Olatunde Adekola, World Bank representative, who represented the grant agency at the official launch of Nigeria Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP), said the Federal Government had met all the acceptance criteria plan for the grant, explaining that the key intention of the project was to provide more opportunities for the girl child and build capacity for public school teachers in the region.

The criteria for selection, according to the World Bank representative, are, “To look at the part of the county that you have more children out of school. You look at all the other measures of retention of people who get enrolled and complete the process of education, and of course with insurgency in the region also being considered as a factor.” The project is expected to last for four years.

“The global partnership for education is part of United Nation’s effort to support developing countries. This is targeted to ensure the education for all and the Sustainable Development Goal is attained,” he said.

On his part, “The programme is targeted at bringing out of school children back to quality education, through the efforts of foreign development partners,” Anthony Anwuka, minister for state for education, who represented the education minister, said.

Beneficiaries of the project, according to Anwuka, are – “teachers in public schools of the five selected states; Universal Basic Education Commission, and the Federal Ministry of Education.”

Meanwhile, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, on behalf of the state governors whose state attracted the grant, pledged to work in full support to ensure the success of the projects the grant was meant for.