From Okwe Obi, Abuja
ActionAid Nigeria has implored the federal and state governments to prioritise education for children, girls and people with special needs.
Its Country, Ene Obi, made the appeal yesterday in Abuja, during the Learning and Close-Out Meeting of Tax Justice and Gender Response Public Services Project (Breaking Barriers).
Obi, also, called on governments to institutionalise existing mechanisms to curb sexual and gender abuse-based violence in schools.
On what ActionAid Nigeria has done to tackle the high level of illiteracy, she said the organisation in partnership with ActionAid International, secured four-year funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development (NORAD) a project targeted at reducing illiteracy.
According to her, the project tagged: ‘Breaking Barriers’ was aimed at ensuring that children, especially girls and marginalised children, access free, quality, public-funded, inclusive public education in Lagos and Sokoto States, respectively.
She explained that within the lifespan of the project, “it addressed some barriers that prevent children, especially girls and children with disabilities from enjoying their rights to free, quality and inclusive public education.
“These barriers include discrimination, inadequate financing, and the proliferation of private schools as low-cost schools.”
She added that “in driving the agenda, two locations were selected for the execution in Nigeria: Lagos and Sokoto States.
“In Lagos, three local governments; Alimosho, Epe and Badagry, were selected. In Sokoto, 3 local governments; Tambuwal, Sokoto South and Bini were selected.
“The project was implemented in 30 schools in Sokoto and Lagos States. 3 primary schools, 12 secondary schools in Lagos and 3 primary schools and 12 secondary schools in Sokoto State.”
On the success achieved, she said, “the project has contributed to the fiscal policy changes in Sokoto State internal revenue law that have led to increased revenue generated in the state.
“Similarly, the project has supported the drafting of an inclusive education policy that will drive the education of children with disabilities and continuously advocate for increased allocation which has led to the two states progressively prioritising education in the annual budget.”
As part of the recommendations, she said: “We urge the Federal Government and other state governments to replicate the successes achieved through various ministries and agencies by prioritising inclusive education for children, especially girls and children with disabilities and addressing other barriers such as infrastructural gaps;
“Support the school-based management committee, and institutionalise or strengthen existing mechanisms to curb sexual and gender-based violence in schools.”