No fewer than 750 indigent students are to benefit from the Aisha Buhari Foundation’s Future Assured Youth Educational and Empowerment Programme (FA-YEEP) in Adamawa.
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The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, stated this at the inauguration of the programme on Friday in Yola.
Buhari, represented by Prof. Abubakar Tahir, the Lead Consultant of the programme in the state, said the gesture was to complement government effort at all levels.
She said the gesture was to address the problem of out-of-school children, particularly the girl-child.
“The case of `out-of-school children is most disheartening in the northern states where insurgency, poverty and socio-cultural norms have played key roles.
“This is further worsening what is left of the ruins of dilapidated structures, insufficient and poorly motivated teachers at all educational levels,’’ she said.
The First Lady said that the programme would deploy e-learning techniques to train the students who had once attempted but failed to pass school examination certificate to enable them cope with current realities.
She urged the beneficiaries to put in their best by taking the programme beyond a support to pass examination rather an opportunity to add value to themselves, their families and the society.
On his part, the National Project Lead, Dr Naseer Ajoge, said that 750 beneficiaries were selected from the three senatorial zones in the state.
Ajoge commended the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI) and Petroleum Equalization Trust Fund (PETF) over their support to the project.
“We also want to specially appreciate Kongol Consulting for being our foot soldiers in Adamawa State and collaborating to implement this project.’’
Also speaking, Mr Sunday Stephen, the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, lauded the initiative by the First Lady and pledged the state government support in addressing the menace of out-of-school children.
Stephen said the gesture would strengthen the children through education that can keep them away from being recruited for conflicts.
He urged other prominent people of the state to team up with the first lady to achieve maximum impact of the programme.
One of the beneficiaries, Nelson Hussaini, thanked the first lady for what he described as her motherly gesture designed empower them with education which is key to success.