The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has faulted the process of implementing the Better Education Service Delivery for All, BESDA projects across the 17 focal States suggesting the use of National Identity Number NIN, for enrollment of new pupils/students on the scheme.
The Minister also queried the projected 13million figure adopted by the World Bank as a basis for launching the program across the country.
Nwajiuba raised the concerns in Abuja on Thursday during the technical meeting held with representatives of 17 benefitting focal states.
According to the Minister, the projected 13million Out Of School figure presented in 2017 was not sufficient enough to determine actual numbers of enrolment from across the states.
The Minister enquired further on the system’s capacity on verification of claims by states presenting pupils for enrolment asking if there was any National enrolment identity number.
In his words, “How do you know the sex of the child presented for enrolment? Is there an enrolment national identity number that you can give to these children when they are enrolled? The World Bank said no, then I said I don’t agree, that we have to restructure the programme.”
Nwajiuba emphasized that every state that registers any pupil/student on the scheme must register the person with National identity number so as to effectively track the progress of the child under the BESDA project.
He stressed that Nigeria must get it right in it’s education sector.
He said this can only be achieved by setting the nation’s basic education sector on the right path.
Nwajiuba added that the security and stability of Nigeria hinges on the ability to provide functional education to the citizens.
Enrollment plan
Addressing the meeting on BESDA programme so far, FME-BESDA Cordinator Hajia Amina Haruna said the programme has been progressive and has recorded decrease in Out of School Children in the focal states.
She further confirmed that for every state that enrols a girl child in the basic school, the sum of 100 dollars will be given while on the enrollment of a boy in the school, the sum of 80 dollars will be given.
The Better Education Service Delivery for All, BESDA programme is a $611m World Bank grant that aims to enrol OSC into the classroom, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results in basic education. The benefiting states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Ebonyi.
Others are Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara State.
The Minister of State represented the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu at the event.
Emmanuel Ukoh
