EU Intervention to Benefit Students in Kano, Jigawa, and Sokoto

This information was shared in a statement by the Director Public Enlightenment of the Ministry of Education, which was released to the press on Tuesday.

During a briefing with the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Michael Banda, the team leader of a United Nations Children’s Fund delegation, revealed that the program will run for four years, starting from September 2023 to August 2027, and will cover 10 LGAs in each of the selected states.

He further explained, “The program aims to benefit approximately 1.2 million learners, 5,000 teachers, 150 education officials, and 5,400 community members through various educational interventions.”

Banda emphasized that the program will focus on strengthening education governance and learning, expanding access to safe and inclusive learning environments, and enhancing the quality of continuous learning and competencies.

Recognizing the evolving digital landscape, Banda stressed the importance of providing digital training for teachers and learners, as well as ministry officials, to align with the changing technological trends.

He also highlighted plans to empower and support education committees, such as the Schools Based Management Committee, to strengthen community partnerships and elevate education standards.

One of the potential challenges highlighted by Abanda is related to data assessment in Kano, particularly in the recruitment of teaching staff. He stressed the need to establish a comprehensive teachers management information data system to address this issue.

Seeking the government’s support and cooperation, Abanda expressed the importance of a collective effort in realizing the goals of the program.

In response, the state Commissioner of Education, Umar Doguwa, expressed gratitude to the EU for selecting Kano as a beneficiary state and assured full support for the program’s implementation.

Doguwa also disclosed that the State government had approved funds for conducting a census of all teachers in order to maintain comprehensive records of school teaching staff across the state.

He further commended the program organizers for allocating funds for the development of Arabic schools and skills acquisition programs, hailing it as a positive initiative.