By Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The European Union has launched a £35 million project to address the urgent educational needs of 417,661 out-of-school children in the northern Nigerian states of Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto.
Named ‘Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities for Children and Youth in North-Western Nigeria,’ the project will be implemented over three years through Save the Children International (SCI), PLAN International, and Development Associates Group (DAG) and will cover 12 local government areas.
Announcing the initiative at a workshop in Dutse’s Sir Ahmadu Bello Conference Hall, PLAN Nigeria’s EU consortium lead and education adviser, Tobi Ransomed, emphasised the project’s broad ambitions.
“The project aims to ensure that, by its conclusion, the targeted number of children will be able to read and write,” she stated, adding that over 12 million people are expected to benefit indirectly from the program.
Looking ahead, the initiative intends to empower 60,000 of these children with sustainable livelihood opportunities, while some will receive scholarships for continued studies.
In his remarks, Jigawa State Governor Malam Umar Namadi, represented by his Deputy, Engineer Aminu Usman Gumel, praised the EU and its partners, stating, “This effort aligns with our government’s 12-point agenda,” and pledged full government support to achieve the program’s aims.
The program’s deputy consortium lead, Vandi Hyelladi, called on community leaders, parents, and the media to support the initiative’s goals of reducing the number of out-of-school children, fostering lasting impact across the northern states.
