Education
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, April 25, 2018 (NAN) Stakeholders in education on Wednesday called for collaboration with government agencies to enhance accountability, transparency and good governance in the sector.
Folashade Okonayim, Executive Director, Paulash Community Development Initiative (PCDI), made the call when she led a team of other stakeholders on an advocacy visit to the FCT Universal Basic Education Chairman, Dr Kabir Ibrahim in Abuja.
She said the visit of the delegation was to formally present their demand seeking for an approval to monitor UBEB projects within the FCT as part of the efforts in official collaboration.
The programme, a five-year project (2015-2019), was initiated and funded by USAID Strengthening Advocacy and Civil Engagement (SACE).
According to Okonayim, the programme is being implemented by Chemonics International.
“The aim is to strengthen the capacity of national civil society clusters to engage in specific issues, such as extractives, education, local governance, women’s participation and many more.
“It is also seeking to improve transparency, accountability and good governance in Nigeria,’’ she said.
Okonayim also noted that Human Development Initiatives (HDI) is implementing Accountability in Basic Education Component (Local Governance and Education) of the Project, which cut across three geo-political zones.
The zones and the states include North-West (Kano State), South- East (Enugu State), South-West (Lagos State), and Federal Capital Territory (AMAC and Bwari Area Councils).
“The programme is aimed at strengthening governance at local level for quality, effective and accessible primary education relative to Universal Basic Education (UBE) Policy Framework through the tripod of capacity building, engagement and public awareness.
“On Feb. 25, 2016, ‘Save The Child Initiative’ (STCI), Nigeria was brought on board as an implementing partner for Bwari Area Council of FCT, Abuja by Human Development Initiatives (HDI).
On Sept. 1 and 2, 2016, STCI, Abuja Office, was visited for a Pre-Award Assessment (Programmatic and Financial Assessment) and Proposal Fine Tuning by HDI-SACE Project Team following the completion of the evaluation process of the Sub-Grant Application by the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC).
Responding, the Chairman, FCT SUBEB, Dr Kabir Ibrahim thanked the team for the visit assuring them of the administration support to those stakeholders with genuine interest for the upliftment of education in the territory.
The chairman warned that there are others who are only interested in painting the government different, adding that the agency is ready to collaborate with the team.
He urged the team to do their work with fear of God and should be fair and just in their report.
At the end, Ibrahim asked the team to write a letter of introduction requesting for permission to assess UBEB projects within FCT.
Those at the meeting include Loveth Ugwu, Programme Manager and Aroh Silverleen, Administration and Finance Department of Save the Child Initiative (STCI).
Others are, Ugo Philips, Executive Director, Eagle Hope Foundation (EHF) and Joshua Nwoha, Executive Director, TAR Initiative, alongside the media.(NAN)
KM/KTO/AFA
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Felix Ajide