UNICEF to Give Education a Boost in Borno State
By Alex Uangbaoje, Maiduguri
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Country Representative, Mohamed Malick Fall has revealed that education will continue to be the main focus in the coming weeks to accelerate interventions and ensure sustainable efforts to deliver more quality results in the best interest of both girls and boys especially those affected by the conflict in Borno state.
He made this known in a meeting with the Borno state Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), on Monday in Maiduguri.
Malick, said UNICEF is consulting with government and other key stakeholders to agree on the best way forward and to ensure all concerned are on the same page.
“UNICEF is committed to ensure that every school age child go to school regardless of the conflict as a matter of right of these children.” He added.
Responding, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Borno state, Dr Shettima Bukar Kullima informed the Representative that due to the strategic interventions by UNICEF the girl child education is receiving a boost much more than ever before with significant increase in the enrolment because of some form of supply support by UNICEF that attracts both parents and the pupils themselves.
“The state is considering double shifting practice to provide a more qualitative education to children with improved teaching and learning environment.
“This initiative would start with 24 new schools in the state as a pilot scheme while UNICEF is preparing to provide 30,000 girls with school uniform and other learning materials support like school in a box and teaching aids by September this year.
“UNICEF interventions in the education sector the best support to Borno state.” He noted.
It could be recalled that UNICEF had supported 28000 girls with complete set of school uniform in 2016.
UNICEF Education Specialist in Maiduguri office, Dr Yusuf Ismail who spoke, said so far UNICEF is the only organization providing formal education support in the newly liberated areas from insurgents groups throughout the state.
