, has pledged to support the education of about 137,245 children in Zamfara, Kaduna and){kind=link}
By Abbas Bamalli
An NGO, Save the Children International SCI, with funding from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), has pledged to support the education of about 137,245 children in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina States.
Mr Sadiq Fema, the Education Officer, Save the Children International, disclosed this at the inauguration of a Technical Working Group (TWG) in Katsina on Sunday.
According to him, about 68,622 girls and 68,623 boys will benefit across Chukun and Igabi LGAs in Kaduna State, Anka and Bungudu in Zamfara as well as Musawa and Mashi from Katsina.
Fema said that the project, tagged: ‘First Emergency Response (FER) for Northwest Nigeria’, was being implemented by the SCI, in collaboration with the GOAL Prime Organisation of Nigeria (GPON).
The education officer added d that the 12-month project, which commenced in October 2024, to end in September 2025, was targeting children in crisis affected areas.
According to him, other cross-cutting thematic areas of the project include protection, WASH, shelter, climate change, gender and disability inclusion/safeguarding.
He said that the goal was to increase access to equitable, safe, protective and inclusive learning opportunities for the children, including adolescent girls and boys with disabilities.
Fema said, “The project also strengthens the capacity of teachers to support education in an emergency context while promoting safe school actions.
“Hence, conflict-affected girls and boys, adolescents and those with disability, have increased access to inclusive quality and conflict sensitive education in a safe learning environment to enhance their resilience.
“Outcome two of the project addresses protection concerns arising from the crisis for girls, boys and their families.
“Hence, conflict affected girls and boys, including those with disability and their families receive quality preventive and gender-responsive child protection services in crisis affected areas.”
According to the SCI education officer, the outcome will strengthen community actions mitigating hazards and risks that affect education.
Fema said the community-based mechanisms and systems had enhanced capacity to support anticipatory action to mitigate climate change impact.
The officer pointed out, “The target for this project are children aged 6-18 years, including those with disability. In Katsina, we’re targeting about 50,780 children.
“The project focuses on out-of-school and displaced children from marginalised communities, ensuring they receive the necessary education support.”
Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa, suggested that special schools in the state should be included in the programme.
According to her, the programme is a vital initiative in restoring equitable access to quality education, especially in vulnerable communities, targeting vulnerable children and adolescents affected by crises.
Musa-Musawa said that the TWG would function as a technical advisory and coordination platform that provides strategic directions, technical inputs, oversight and stakeholder harmonisation.
The commissioner further commended the donors and the implementing partners for choosing Katsina to be one of the benefitting states in the region.
NAN
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