World Bank earmarks $500 million for basic education in Nigeria — Official

The World Bank has set aside 500 million dollars as grant to fund basic education in five states for five years, Helen Okoro, the Information Officer, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has said.

Ms. Okoro, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, credited Olatunde Adekola, Head, World Bank International Reconstruction and Development team, as giving the information.

She said Mr. Adekola explained that the fund was for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), established to improve access to quality education at the basic level in Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto and Katsina states.

“Five hundred million dollars has been set aside as Global Partnership for Education (GPE)/ Nigerian Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP) to fund education in the five beneficiary states of Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto,’’ she said.

Ms. Okoro said Mr. Adekola commended the Federal Government for the NIPEP project and added that it was the first time government was focusing on strategies aimed at moving the basic education sub-sector forward.

She said the 2.5 billion dollars credit that the Federal Government requested from the World Bank to finance the 2016 budget could only be released after fulfilling certain conditions.

Ms. Okoro also quoted Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of UBEC, as assuring the team of the agency’s commitment to reposition basic education delivery in Nigeria. (NAN)