World Bank donates $12m to support education

The World Bank on Thursday presented a cheque of $11,948,000 to Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa to support education in the state.

A representative of the bank, Dr Tunde Adekola, presented the cheque at the inauguration of the World Bank-supported Global Partnership for Education project in Dutse.

Adekola explained that the gesture was to improve access to basic education, especially at early primary school level.He said that the scheme would ensure that children were motivated to go to school and ensure their retention.

According to him, the project will strengthen government’s education system and ensure accountability. The World Bank representative said that primary school teachers would be given scholarships to further their education under the programme.

According to him, it is projected that within the next four years all female teachers in basic schools must have acquired National Certificate of Education under the programme.

Adekola said that $100 million was ear-marked for the project and would be shared among five states. In his remarks, Badaru thanked development partners for their efforts and assistance in the development of education in the state.

He said that so far, his administration had paid N3.1 billion as counterpart fund to the state’s Universal Basic Education Board to develop basic schools across the state. The governor thanked World Bank for the gesture and promised to use the fund judiciously.