The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is supporting about 9, 000 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, says Adamu Ndagi, a UN Education Specialist.
Ndagi stated this while presenting UNICEF’s education intervention score card in the last six months in the state, during a two-day 2016 mid-year review meeting in Kaduna.
He said UNICEF in collaboration with Fifth Chucker and Access Bank were supporting the children to have access to quality education and given them sense of belonging.
He explained that the Local Government Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Maraban Jos, where the OVC were being supported had recorded unprecedented enrolment from 2,500 in 2015 to about 9, 000 in 2016.
The specialist added that about N25 million had already been injected since the inception of the programme in 2013.
“The amount was used in the improvement of teaching and learning environment and other necessary instructional materials and furniture,’’ he said.
According to him, improvement of learning environment is a key strategy in attracting more children to school.
He, however, said that shortage of classrooms and furniture had remained a major challenge following the unprecedented enrolment in the school in 2016 following UNICEF intervention and the state’s school feeding programme.