By SundiataPOST, Abuja
The World Bank on Friday in Abuja launched a project that would support Nigeria’s quest towards improving the quality of education using a results based financing model. This approach allows the disbursement of funds only when agreed results are achieved by the participating states.
The project links financing to results achieved through better teacher deployment and school management. It aims to improve measurement of student learning in government primary and secondary schools.
The $150 million Nigeria State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP) will serve over two million children in the three participating states of Anambra, Bauchi and Ekiti by improving the quality of their schooling.
“Investing in people is an essential part of Nigeria’s strategy to reduce poverty and achieve steady economic growth,” said Marie-Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, “I am delighted that we are supporting better schooling and earning prospects for millions of children and young people, while also cushioning some of the poorest families through a stronger social safety net system.”
The three States covered by SEPIP aim to raise the quality of education by improving teacher availability in rural areas, standardization of State-level testing in English and mathematics making technical and vocational education more relevant to the needs of employers and entrepreneurs; and strengthening school-level management and accountability.
“Rather than financing the educational system to keep it running, this education project shifts the focus to what the system is actually doing for children, by linking financing to the achievement of agreed results,” said Irajen Appasamy, World Bank Task Team Leader for the SEPIP project.
