Chioma Umeha
The German Government has announced a new
contribution of 15 million euros to UNICEF Nigeria to support the provision of
quality and equitable basic education and strengthen the resilience of the most
vulnerable communities, especially children, in Adamawa and Yobe states.
A statement signed by Oluwatosin Akingbulu,
Communication Officer, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said the new
contribution was provided through the German Government’s Development Bank –
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).
The statement further said that the fund will
enable UNICEF to support the Government of Nigeria to provide 1,060,000
conflict-affected children and adolescents with increased access to quality
education in a safe and healthy learning environment.
It will also provide 8,200 teachers with increased
capacity to deliver quality learning at pre-primary and primary levels and
support 500 school-based management committees to plan and maintain a safe and
healthy learning environment in schools, with increased community
participation.
“All children, regardless of their situation, must
be supported to access all their basic rights.
Investing in education is perhaps the best
investment any nation can make for its children,” said UNICEF Representative
Mohamed Fall. “This investment is timely, as it comes at a moment when we are
redoubling our efforts to improve both access and quality of education for
conflict-affected children.”
The KfW contribution will also support UNICEF’s
work to link humanitarian needs and long-term development opportunities in
target conflict-affected communities in north-east Nigeria.
The German Government is a long-standing partner
of UNICEF Nigeria, having contributed over 21 million euros towards the
humanitarian and development response in Nigeria since 2016.
Prior to the crisis, the North East had the
highest percentage (52 per cent) of children who never attended schools, with
at least 17.1 per cent in Adamawa state and 73 per cent in Yobe state.
Moreover, the North East had the highest children drop-out rates, at 3.2 per
cent (4.4 for Adamawa and 1.6 for Yobe). The current situation shows a decline
in the total number of schools by 22 per cent and a decline in total enrolment
by 38 per cent.
