UNICEF DEMANDS MORE EDUCATION SUPPORT FOR SOUTHERN SCH GIRLS

REPORTER: EMEFIENA OKONKWO

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged government at all levels in the country to be committed to girl education for progressive and harmonious country.

The UNICEF Chief of Enugu Field Office, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, gave the advice in Enugu during a workshop on dissemination of Findings from Evaluation of Girls Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3), and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).

The UNICEF Chief of Enugu Field Office represented by the UNICEF Education Specialist, Dr. Agatha Nzeribe, noted that the programmes, including the cash transfer, which were well thoughtout projects of interventions in the nothern states, had ensured improved enrolment of girls in schools, reduction of girls dropout from schools, and wellbeing of girls in those states.

Dr. Nzeribe stressed the need for such success stories as seen in those  interventions to be replicated in the southern states.

She encouraged policymakers in the southern states to be open and come out with challenges the girl child face in the zone, to streamline interventions to tackle the challenges.

A participant in the workshop and senior staff of the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Mrs. Ogechi Eucharia Onyeso, explained that the Board shared ideas with representatives from the northern states where the Girl Education Project 3 (GEP3) and the cash transfer programme had recorded huge success, so as to enable the states in the south to benefit.

In his submission, the Deputy Director (Special Needs), Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Aisuedion Akhere, commended UNICEF for supporting the Federal Government in tackling poor enrolment of girls in schools and their drop out from schools.

He also reiterated that the Girls Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3) and the Cash Transfer Programme were huge success in the north, while noting that budgetary provision for the education sector was increasing.

Another participant in the Workshop, Mr. Mahmuda Galadima, testified that the cash transfer in Sokoto State had financially supported indigent girls to return to schools.

Mr. Galadima, who is the Co-ordinator of the Cash Transfer Programme in Sokoto state, thanked UNICEF for the Cash Transfer and the Girls Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3) programmes as they had ensured that more girls in the northern states attended schools.

The event featured key paper presentations by other UNICEF Specialists, Mr. Michael Banda and Mrs. Azuka Menkiti

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU