FG seeks extension of N7bn ADB-assisted education project

T HE federal government has sought extension of the just-concluded African Development Bank (ADB)-assisted project, worth seven billion naira it said has led to massive delivery of technical and vocational education in the benefitting institutions.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, disclosed this when he received the Project Manager, Dr. Ebele Nwafor, who briefed him on the ADB project in Nigeria entitled ‘ADB-Assisted Skill Training and Vocational Education Project’.

He said his ministry was liaising with the Federal Ministry of Finance to see to the possibility of securing a second phase of the project, so that it could be extended to other institutions, as well as to consolidate on the gains that have been achieved in the benefitting institutions.

The minister recalled that the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (ADB), initiated the project in 2007 to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria in the efforts to restructure and upgrade some technical and vocational institutions in the country through provision of infrastructural facilities and equipment in order to improve their effectiveness and efficiency.

Adamu and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwukah, were unanimous at the meeting on the need to sustain the project, noting that the quantum of work done compared to the total project cost of about N7 billion represented true value for money.

They agreed that a mini-committee would be constituted to take over the running of the project office for the time being, pending when the extension drive is achieved.

Earlier, the Project Manager, Dr. Ebele Nwafor, who led other staff of the Project Coordinating Unit to the ministry, briefed the ministers on the performance of the project, saying that it was executed in four components, namely: improving access to skills training; enhancing quality and efficiency of skill training & vocational education; strengthening public private partnerships; and project management.

Dr Nwafor explained that each of the components was implemented through sets of activities in the benefitting institutions.

According to her, all the items listed in the project appraisal could not be funded due to inflation; hence specific projects were embarked upon based on the critical needs of the institutions.

“In essence, some institutions had classrooms constructed for them; others had hostel, libraries, except at FSTC Orozo, where the full items were delivered,” she said.

She further announced that 28 buildings including: students’ hostels, libraries, classrooms and Business Development Centres (BDC) were constructed as well as solar lighting system, bore holes and water reticulation system.

Other activities include: Conducting Base line Survey, supply of books for libraries, several workshop equipment/machines, capacity building for various classes of persons and curriculum development on TVET among others. A total of 33 capacity building programmes were conducted for 1,191 participants, she said.

Dr. Nwafor also stated that the projects are distributed across five Federal Science Technical Colleges located at Orozo, Ikare, Ohanso, Lassa and Uyo as well as the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Federal College of Education Technical Akoka, Lagos, Nomadic Education Centres at Luddiga and Kilometer26, Kaduna; and Women Development Centre, Abuja.

The Project Manager said that operational manuals were developed for the Business Development Centres and start-off capital also delivered to the institutions.

She noted with satisfaction that some of the Business Development Centres   are now engaged in various entrepreneurship activities and are now able to provide some of the basic needs of the institutions as well as producing for the market, while a few of them were yet to commence full operation.

The project formally came to an end in September, 2016 while some staff have been carrying out some post closure activities.