Sokoto State Launches EU, UNICEF Education, Youth Empowerment Programme
By Ismail Umar, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, has launched European Union (EU) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) education and Youths empowerment Programme in the North-western part of the country.
Launching the program, the Governor said his administration will leave no stone unturned to ensure quality education among children across the state.
He explained that government had allocated about 25% of its 2024 budget to education for effective teaching and learning.
He decried that insecurity occasion by banditry, kidnapping and other crimes had affected the education of children in the areas led by bandits attacks.
” this has affected the quality of education for our children, the Governors of the north western region commit their word with action by initiating security measure to recruit community guards to safeguard and protect children and communities.
” We also set the ball rolling especially in Sokoto that machineries have put in place to ensure youths are gainfull employed through skills acquisition and training in different trades.
” All these intervention measures are directed at achieving remarkable success in enrollment, reintegration and retention of Children in school and provide youths with meaningful activity for self reliance and development,” Governor Aliyu pointed out.
The Sokoto state governor assured EU Ambassador the state government commitments to support the programme to return thousand of out of school children back to school for socioeconomic development of the state.
In her remarks, the UNICEF representative to Nigeria, Christian Munduate, described the investment in education as timely and aimed at scaling up effective models on bringing children back to school, improving foundational literacy and numeracy and expanding education information management systems.
According to her, EU through UNICEF come a long way in identifying what works to improve access to education and to improve learning in Nigeria.
” In the North-West, where the partnership will be implemented, our engagement with government, and traditional and religious leaders has been crucial in bringing back 1.5 million girls to school in 6 states.
” But the out-of-school problem and learning challenges are significantly exacerbated by a fast-growing child population, poverty, violence, and insecurity in the North-West.
“These factors put additional pressure on the education system, which itself is constrained by, among others, a shortage of classrooms and qualified teachers and lack of data. Sokoto state has a high number of out-of-school children and learning achievement in literacy and numeracy is low,” Mundiate lament.
She added that the programme adopts a life cycle approach by supporting students’ educational journey from early childhood education to secondary education.
She noted that through a multi-year grant, Sokoto state will reintegrate children into schools by providing cash transfers to poor households and schools, engaging with communities and creating a safe learning environment.
The UNICEF Representative to Nigeria reiterated their commitments to partners, EU and Sokoto state government for the opportunity to accelerate access to education and learning outcomes and promote children’s well-being.
Also, EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Samuela Isopi, noted that the programme commits 40,000,000 million euros to the three states of Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto.
” the funding is supporting formal and non-formal education and skills development for youth, especially girls, including out-of-school children, through training, climate change education and awareness campaigns in collaboration with national and state governments in Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto,” She noted
She said the programme was aimed at providing quality education and skills development, with a particular focus on girls in the rural and underserved areas.
Isopi said the programme targets 500,000 children in Sokoto state with focus to girls.
She expressed appreciation to the governments of benefiting states and other partners for their support, while calling for more commitments to ensure successful implementation of the programme.
The event was attended by developmental partners, stakeholders, traditional and religious leaders, members of the sokoto state executive Council, ulamas, and among others.
Dominica Nwabufo
