Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has urged the World Bank to assist Nigeria in reducing the number of Out- of- School children from ten to five million by the year 2023.
The minister solicited for the assistance when a delegation of the World Bank, led by its Country Director, Mr Shubham Chawdry paid him a working visit, according to a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, signed by Ben Goong, Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry.
Adamu said this was in line with the current administration’s goal of ensuring that Nigerian children had access to qualitative education, irrespective of their economic backgrounds.
Expressing concern at the number of out-of- School children in the country, Adamu said the Federal Government was keen on reducing the number in addition to improving the standard of education in the country, adding that the ministry was currently working with the World Bank on projects aimed at encouraging children back to school, particularly in the area of increased enrollment of the girl-child.
While commending the bank on its commitment to the development of the nation’s educational sector, the minister expressed government’s readiness for better interventions that would tackle obstacles to the eradication of the out- of -school children phenomenon.
In his remarks, World Bank Director, Shubham Chawdry, reiterated his organisation’s commitment to the improvement of the nation’s education sector.
Chawdry, who noted that education was a sure way of eliminating poverty, pledged the readiness of his organisation to assist in financing more projects that would foster the development of the country’s educational system.
He also declared the World Bank’s interest in long-lasting projects, adding that the bank would no longer dictate developmental projects but leave the decision to governments as they were in the best position to ascertain the needs of their citizens.
