Gombe’s N6.1bn scheme to reduce out-of-school children

File: Chairman of the Northern States  Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Yahaya

The Gombe State Executive Council has approved N6.1bn as the state’s counterpart funding for the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity-Education programme.

The approval, according to the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Aishatu Maigari, qualifies the state to benefit from the World Bank-supported HOPE-EDU programme, a federal government initiative aimed at strengthening foundational education delivery across the country.

Maigari disclosed this in a circular signed by Nasiru Saidu which was obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

She said the approval demonstrated the commitment of the Inuwa administration to repositioning education as a driver of human capital development.

“The Gombe State Executive Council has approved the sum of N6.1bn as the state counterpart fund for the HOPE-EDU programme.

“With this approval, Gombe State has now fully qualified to benefit from the World Bank-supported HOPE-EDU programme,” the commissioner said.

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She explained that the programme would focus on improving learning outcomes in basic schools, reducing the number of out-of-school children, recruiting and deploying qualified teachers and strengthening the basic education system.

According to her, the programme would also promote transparency and accountability through the Track and Trace Initiative, which would enable real-time monitoring of beneficiaries and utilisation of funds.

Maigari stressed that the state’s counterpart contribution was in line with the administration’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.

“The N6.1bn counterpart funding demonstrates the commitment of the Inuwa Yahaya administration to repositioning the education sector as a driver of human capital development, in line with global best practices and Sustainable Development Goal 4,” she said.

The commissioner, while assuring that the Ministry of Education would ensure that the funds were utilised prudently and transparently to achieve the objectives of the programme, remarked further, “We will ensure prudent, transparent and judicious utilisation of the funds to achieve the desired objectives of the programme for the benefit of every child in Gombe State.”