By Temi Ohakwe, Abuja
The United Nation’s Fund UNICEF, has spent about N400million in 3years to support school enrolment drive and Annual School Census of Integrated and non-integrated Quranic Schools in Kano State.
The UN Agency also assisted the State with another sum of N40million to aid home based virtual learning during the COVID-19 induced school closure and lockdown.
Key officials of Kano State Universal Basic Education Board and focal persons for UNICEF GEP3 FCDO projects in the State, made these known to Journalists during the media reporting of GEP3 projects accross the State.
Aminu Dalha, Kano SUBEB/GEP3 supervising officer for Kano Municipal Council, Ungogo, Dambatta local government areas ,stated that the UN Agency’s emergency preparedness stimulus empowered the state to provide education for basic school pupils across the state via Radio and Television.
Dalha further stated that significantly, about 9percent of total enrolment of pupils in primary one in basic schools across kano state is traceable to the new enrolment drive.
According to him, “UNICEF has been supporting us since 2017, precisely on the development of capacity of School Based Management Committee, the High level Women Advocates ,Mothers’ Association, specifically on how to mobilise members of the community on house to house enrolment drive, to ensure that children enrol in schools in the 6focal areas”
“the formation of Mother’s Association was supported by UNICEF ,SUBEB benefitted under the GEP3 project to form structures for the Association in Kano Municipal Council, Nasarawa, Gwale, Samaila Dambatta and Ungogo, it is seen as part of community involvement in helping girls education at the grassroot level”.
Speaking on the disbursement of the N105m GEP3 grants to 720schools in Kano Municipal and Nasarawa local government areas, Muhd Ibn, said that the state engaged the teacher facilitator training to distribute the resources to 420 Islamic Quranic Schools ,IQS and 300 public basic schools .
According to Ibn, “In creating access to quality learning ,each IQS received the sum of N250thousand and we disbursed to 420 IQS centres, we also used the Centre Based Management Committee CBMCs to disburse the same amount to 300 public primary schools”
He revealed that 200 pieces of school uniforms were sewn for pupils of two IQS centers while the public primary schools procured materials for teaching and learning of vocational education.
“GEP 3 capacity building programme covers 6local government and we trained 2100 CBMCs, 1500 children clubs were formed ,we made significant purchase of teaching and learning materials that also covered 420 integrated quranic islamiya schools, we purchased stationeries”
Ibn added that the enrolment in Islamic Quranic School has increased considerably following the disbursed grants , “we have recorded increase in access , retention and completion of our school pupils”
On 2020 Annual School Census in kano, the State Ministry of Education EMISS Chief, Ibrahim Yakassai , said the state was supported with over N25m ,he added that 1000 Head teachers were also trained under the GEP3 project , while N13million was provided to aid school record keeping of the state.
According to Yakassai, UNICEF provided 10 computers,41 Ipads, to support us at the ministry during the enrolment drive campaign,the UN Agency also provided 1 server for EMISS during the annual school census, we equally held DFID/GEP3 annual review meting as well as Girls Education steering committee meeting”
Speaking on partnership with UNICEF and Kano State government, the Chairperson of High Level Women Advocates HILWA , Professor Aisha Ismaila, said underage child marriage is reducing in Northwest Nigeria adding that through the GEP3 support , HILWA has facilitated training sessions for Mothers’ Association across the focal local areas.
“HILWA partners SUBEB ,we work with traditional rulers across the state even in other states to ensure that all barriers related to girls education are removed, in the north , people speculate that religion and culture does not allow girls to go to school ,we held workshop with traditional leaders and we told them about the benefits of allowing girls to have education”.
“HILWA is presently intervening in 700 schools , we intend to mentor 300 girls in 2020 if not for the outbreak of COVID 19, in 2018 we mentored 100girls, in 2019 we also impacted on 200 girls” Prof. Ismaila added.
