Gusau – UNICEF in partnership with Zamfara Government have sponsored 404 female students from the state to acquire the National Certificate in Education (NCE).
Alhaji Usman Muhammad, UNICEF focal person at the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said this while presenting a report on the scheme during a mid-year meeting on Wednesday in Gusau.
Muhammad said that the programme was initiated by the state government in 2011 to boost girl-child education.
“UNICEF is sponsoring 50 NCE III and 250 NCE II students while the state government is sponsoring 47 NCE III and 37 NCE II students.
“UNICEF has fully paid all the students under its sponsorship while those under the state government are still waiting for their last payment for the second semester of 2015.
“All the students under this program receive N80, 000 each per academic session to take care of their registration and other academic needs.
“We want to use this opportunity to urge the state government to live up to its responsibility of giving the benefiting students the opportunity to acquire the requisite knowledge aimed at improving the girl-child education in the state,’’ he said.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting drew participants from ministries, agencies and non-governmental organisations.
It was aimed at drawing annual work-plans for UNICEF intervention in education, food and nutrition and healthcare delivery, so as to improve the survival of women and children in the state. (NAN)