AWKA – The World Bank says it will invest 50 million dollars for the revamping of technical and vocational colleges in Anambra.
A Senior Education Specialist with the bank, Dr Tunde Adekola, made the disclosure when he visited, Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra at the Government House, Awka, on Monday.
The visit by the bank delegation followed an inspection of facilities at Government Technical College, Ontisha, by the team.
Adekola, who noted that the role of the bank was to support and accelerate governments’ development efforts, said Ekiti and Bauchi would also benefit from similar grants.
He said the fund would help to improve the State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP) of benefiting states by improving on quality of technical and vocational studies.
He expressed delight with the innovations made by the students despite the constraints they were facing in the school.
“With more support for these children from relevant donor agencies and government, we are sure that their future is better,” he said.
Adekola also stressed the need to involve the private sector, especially in the demand for technical and vocational skills.
According to him, professional associations in technical and vocational skills must be involved for the programme to succeed.
“The essence is to link Nigeria with international best practises standard,” Adekola said.
Responding, Obiano said that three standard vocational and technical schools would soon be established in the state.
According to him, government is working assiduously to jump-start water transportation to reach difficult areas were education is lacking behind.
Obiano said that his administration was working out a structure to assist teachers in the state with car loans.
He also said the state government was working to improve the industrial, agriculture and oil and gas sectors to complement the efforts made in the education sector.
The governor assured the bank delegation of proper utilisation of all World Bank-assisted grants.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, said the assistance was geared toward creating self-employment opportunities for technical and vocational students.
Omenugha said the support would also be channeled into teacher deployment as well as retention of teachers in rural areas.
She said the Obiano-administration had approved the payment of 20 per cent of basic salary as allowance to teachers deployed to rural areas.
According to her, teachers who teach science, mathematics and English subjects are to receive three thousand naira extra as incentives. (NAN)
