THE Federal Government has approved the sum of N220 billion grant to endemic states to tackle the out-of-school children phenomenon ravaging the country.
Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, disclosed on Saturday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital in an address at the launch of the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme in the state.
He explained that the fund was a credit facility from the World Bank to Nigeria to be released to the states as a grant to enable them to fight the scourge of out-of-school children as well as strengthen basic education in their respective jurisdictions.
Nwajiuba stated that the cardinal objective of the BESDA programme is to increase equitable access for out-of-school children, improve literacy and strengthen accountability at the basic education level.
According to the minister, the programme is focused on the 17states in the country, which includes the entire 13 states of the North West and North East geo-political zones as well as Oyo, Ebony and Rivers states.
Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Bem Goong, in a statement in Abuja, quoted the minister as saying that the selection of the states was based on the prevalence of the scourge.
Speaking further, the minister said, BESDA became effective in 2018 with the commencement of implementation processes at the federal level, adding that all key activities at the federal level to kick- start implementation of the programme by the focus states have been completed.
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According to the minister, each beneficiary state is expected to commence implementation in line with specific steps and guidelines provided under the programme noting that Adamawa state has successfully commenced the implementation process.
Nwajiuba maintained that ensuring that out-of-school children are in school was not only a moral and legal obligation but also a productive investment that would guarantee the future of the nation’s children as enshrined in the child rights Act of 2003.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State applauded the efforts of the Federal Government in bringing the BESDA programme to the state, adding that he had directed the implementation of the programme two months after assumption of office to show the enthusiasm of the state towards the programme.
Fintiri indicated that so far, over 50,000 children have already been taken off the streets in Adamawa.
In order to ensure the success of the programme the governor said he has already established a strong implementation team which included traditional and religious leaders in all the local governments and districts of the state.
He added that the training of teachers otherwise known as facilitators for the programme has already been completed while efforts were on to integrate the almajiri and tsangaya systems into the BESDA program.
The governor said special consideration and arrangements would be made in the programme for the girl-child.
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