Government, World Bank earmark $100m to boost basic education in five states

Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education

The Federal Government and the World Bank have earmarked over $100m for improving access and quality of basic education with active girl-child participation in five northern states.

Speaking at the national launch of Nigerian Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP) Tuesday in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the official flag-off of the project in the country marks a milestone in government’s efforts aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children.

Adamu listed the benefiting states as Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna.He noted that the four-year project was aimed at improving access and quality of basic education, especially for the girl-children in the country.

Represented by the Minister of State, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, Adamu who noted that the North East has the highest number of out-of-school children in the country, urged the benefiting states to ensure that the funds marked out for the projects were well utilised.

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in his remarks said his administration had declared a state of emergency in the education sector due to its poor state.

He said that the issues of teacher training and retraining, teacher-welfare and the schools’ feeding programme were among the top provisions under the state of emergency.

Tambuwal assured that funds earmarked for the project would be judiciously utilised. Also speaking, a World Bank representative in the country, Tunde Adekola, said the initiative would be implemented under the Nigeria Partnership For Education Project.