World Bank, Girls’ Initiative earmark N12bn to improve Nasarawa schools’ facilities

A World Bank-Supported Project, tagged AGILE – Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment – has earmarked N12 billion for infrastructure improvement in 690 Public Primary and Secondary Schools across Nasarawa State.

The World Bank-Supported Project, which is under the Federal Ministry of Education, will also build additional 30 new structures in both Primary and Secondary Schools as part of efforts to ensure access to education opportunities for adolescent girls in the State.

John Mamman, Nasarawa State Commissioner of Education, who stated this in an interview with newsmen in Lafia, the State Capital, said the project would be under the supervision of AGILE, who are already on ground to monitor the project implementation.

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According to the Commissioner, the money is a counterpart fund expended in collaboration with World Bank-Assisted Project and AGILE with the Nasarawa State Government meant to improve the standard of education in the State.

“The State Government paid N150 million and as you pay, the World Bank is more than willing to give in return. The governor, is willing to pay more this year so that we can add to the standards of renovations and construction of new schools”, he said.

Mamman further noted that the first phase of the projects would see to the renovation of 690 schools, while 30 new schools would be built under the second phase.

“In the first phase, we are doing renovations, supply of water, parameter fencing of schools not less than 690. In the second phase we have construction of new schools numbering 30, so those are the rolling plans we have.

“This is In addition to bilingual education system that we will want to partner with World Bank to see how we can bring all these almajiris from Tsangaya schools to merge them with formal education system in the state” he said.

Mamman thanked Governor Abdullahi Sule for the approval and subsequent release of N150 million to the partners to enable the State’s access to the fund and revamp the education sector of the State.

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The Commissioner lamented that a total of 272 Primary and Secondary Schools were affected by windstorm in the last raining season, and so far over 80 were fixed to enable students and teachers learn under conducive atmosphere.

He stated that the State Government through the State Ministry of Education recently distributed learning materials worth N46 million to Secondary Schools for effective learning.

Mamman then denied the allegations that some schools were tasking students to buy chalk and learning materials as he warned that any school principal or teacher found wanting in this regard would be punished.

He called on all teachers in the State to observe teaching ethics, rules, regulations, pattern and behavior, “because as a teacher, if you are not a role model, then you are something else”, he noted.

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