Unicef launches ambitious plan to enrol 1m girls in school across northern Nigeria

UNITED Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) has set itself a target of getting 1m girls across five states of northern Nigeria back into school under its Girlchild Education Project (Gep) aimed at addressing the problem of truantism across the country.

 

According to the findings of a 2013 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), Nigeria has the highest number of children out of school in the world. It revealed that a total of 10.5m Nigerian children are not in school at the moment, accounting for about 47% of the global total.

 

With most of these children being in northern Nigeria, Unicef has decided to wade into the crisis but ensuring the enrolment of girls across the region. States it is targeting in the first phase of its Gep programme include Niger, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and Bauchi States.

 

Utpal Moitra, Unicef's chief field office revealed yesterday that it will be flagging off the 2015 Enrolment Drive Campaign in Minna, the Niger State capital. He noted that the overall goal of the scheme was to improve social and economic opportunity for girls across northern Nigeria.

 

Mr Moitra added: “Let me emphasize that the Gep Three project has a target of attracting an additional 1m girls to school from the five states of Niger, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and Bauchi. One of the mechanisms of achieving this target is through the yearly enrolment drive campaigns done under the auspices of the ministry of education and the State Universal Basic Education Board.

 

“The overall goal of the Girl Education Project is to improve social and economic opportunities for girls by attracting more girls in target states in northern Nigeria. It is my belief that with commitment of the state government, all education stakeholders would be more committed to this exercise."

 

He called on the Niger State government to invest heavily in girl child education so as to achieve the sustainable development goals. Niger State deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Ketso, who flagged off the campaign, restated the state government's resolve to an improved and all-inclusive access to qualitative education at all levels.

 

Alhaji Ketso added: “I wish to re-affirm the commitment of this administration in prioritising the provision of accessible and quality education. This administration shall continue to collaborate with international development partners and other key stakeholders towards building one of the most viable educational system in the country by 2020.”

 

Across Nigeria, the Girlchild Education Project is being implemented by Unicef, with the support of the UK Department for International Development, was introduced in 2005‎. Former British prime minister Gordon Brown visited Nigeria as part of the scheme to provide it with some impetus.