By Milcah Tanmiu

The United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) has reported that a total of 285,000 vulnerable children, heavily impacted by insurgency in the North East region of Nigeria, have received educational support at the appropriate learning levels. Mustapha Shehu, the Education Specialist at UNICEF’s Maiduguri Field Office, shared this information during preparations for the International Day of Education themed “Learning for Lasting Peace” in Maiduguri.

Shehu highlighted the success of the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria, an Education Emergency Program (PLANE-EIE), a four-year £16 million grant initiative initiated in December 2021 and set to conclude in December 2025. The program adopts a comprehensive approach to address educational challenges arising from conflict, with a specific focus on inclusivity and quality learning for vulnerable children.

The initiative targets the recovery of education systems in Borno and Yobe states, specifically in Maiduguri, Jere, Konduga, Damaturu, Nguru, and Potiskum. Shehu noted that the project has successfully reached 275,000 vulnerable children aged 6-17, empowering them to overcome academic and social challenges, with significant improvements in reading and writing skills within the initial six months of the intervention.

Shehu emphasized the project’s commitment to enhancing teaching and learning approaches for conflict-affected foundational learning skills and creating secure learning environments through inclusiveness.

Ian Attfield, Senior Education Advisor for the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria program from the British High Commission, commended the project’s outcomes during his assessment of PLANE-EIE in the region. He expressed the British government’s concern over the high dropout rates in Nigerian schools, urging the Federal Government to further develop its youth population.

The initiative is funded by the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria project, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in collaboration with Education Cannot Wait