Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State has been selected among the six successful states in Nigeria to benefit from the $107 million fund from the Global Partners in Education System Transformational Grant (GPE-STG), to tackle out of school children menace, and develop education for children.
The disbursement and implementation monitoring of the fund, are being handled by UNICEF, one of the grant agents.
Education Specialist, UNICEF Control Office, Abuja, Mr Saka Adebayo Ibraheem, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia during a two-day management consultation with stakeholders in the state education sector, said $12 million had been approved for Abia.
He said: “The total funding for Nigeria is $107 million USD, and $12 million has been aportioned to Abia State.
“The state has developed its own theory of change and proposed the outlines for which the grant was made. So, we are now consulting with them as a grant agent, to look at their programme and ToC again, to be sure they’re really prepared.
“UNICEF and the World Bank are the two grant agencies, and we are here to ensure strict implementation and efficient use of funds according to the ToC as already developed by the state.”
The Education Specialist also said UNICEF would provide technical support for the programme, adding that “there are triggers to accessing the full grant.”
Earlier in an interview, Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, expressed delight over the approval, and said it would assist the state to further drive its on-going transformation in the education sector.
“The visit by UNICEF team is a confirmation that Abia State has attracted a grant from GPE. This team was sent to come and sensitise and evaluate us on our readiness to utilise the funds according to purpose, and we will prove to them that we are ready.”
Asked how the largesse would be deployed, the Commissioner said: “We are looking at transformation of literacy and numeracy which are the foundational aspects of education.”
He commended the donors and pledged that the funds would be judiciously deployed in furtherance of the on-going efforts of Gov. Alex Otti to reposition the education sector in the state.
One of the participants and the Head, Department of Educational Services, Ministry of Education, Dr Esther Buko, said the state had looked forward to the event, and would use it to tackle the issue of out of school children.
“Abia State as one of the states with so many out of school children, will return those children to school so we can have a very literate state.”
Recall that the State Government had on Monday, announced free and compulsory education from primary to Junior Secondary three with effect from January 2025.
It also said it had become an offense for parents or guardians to keep children out of school, vowing to prosecute anyone that flouts the new policy.
