United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Wednesday in Kano, inaugurated the distribution of learning materials, safety kits and sanitary pads to 60 schools in Kano.
Speaking at the event held at SUBEB headquarters, Kano, Chief of UNICEF Kano Office, Mr Rahama Farah, said that the mission was to help children survive, thrive and develop to fulfill their potential.
According to him, UNICEF supports government to provide basic education, as education remains an important pillar in helping children attain their full potential.
He noted that education sector in Nigeria was facing a number of challenges, which had impacted negatively on learning.
“To improve access to education, UNICEF has been supporting government to address the challenge of unsafe learning environment.
“For instance, under the Girl Education Program (GEP3), UNICEF supported the training of School-Based Management Committee members (SBMC), teachers and pupil in Kano and Katsina states on School Safety and Early Warning Systems,” he said.
Farah, while urging the beneficiaries to make best use of the items, appealed to the House of Assembly to pass the bill on child protection currently pending before it.
Executive Secretary, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Danlami Hayyo, commended UNICEF for assisting the government in achieving its educational goals.
Represented by the Permanent Commissioner in the commission, Alhaji Kabir Ahmad, Hayyo expressed delight with the materials, promising that the distribution would be monitored and that they would be judiciously used.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with the NTV Africa, commended UNICEF and the state government for the gesture.