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UNICEF GEP3 `ll bring additional 1m girls to school by 2020

Published

6 years ago

August 27, 2019

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says the Girls Education Project in six participating states will bring an additional one million girls to school by 2020.

Mr Richard Akanet, Kano State UNICEF Coordinator of the project, made the disclosure on Tuesday at a two-Day Media Dialogue on School Based Management Committee (SBMC) in Kano.

The project, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), is expected to span through eight years from 2012 to 2020, aimed at contributing to improving the social and economic opportunity for girls.

Akanet, presenting the overview on the GEP3 project in the participating states- Bauchi, Zamfara, Kastina, Niger, Sokoto and Kano, said the project had integrated Quranic education into the formal education.

He said that the SBMC was a national strategy which was employed to get school age girls to school without neglecting the boys’ enrollment.

Akanet said that the SBMC had been able to incorporate a huge number of Quranic schools into the formal education.

He said each school has one SBMC which focus on the need of the school improvement, planning as well as improving enrollment and reducing out of school children.

According to him, target of the project is to ensure more girls in the targeted states in Northern Nigeria complete basic education, while also acquiring skills for life and livelihood.

“GEP3 has achieved a lot, especially in building the capacity of SBMCs and this allows them to prioritise the needs of their schools.

“With advocacy, we are now able to convince the Quranic schools to integrate their schools into the formal education and Quranic schools have now been integrated into the formal education.

“The work that takes place in Quranic schools under the GEP 3 is for the schools to be controlled by the state mechanism.

“We have also inculcated the core subjects to match the Islamic education. The out-of-school children have now been integrated,” he said.

Akanet also explained that the GEP 3 SBMC initiative had created 1,539 female teachers in Kano State to ease learning outcome.

He also said that by 2020, 1.6 million girls would be reached by improved teaching and girls-friendly learning environment.

The UNICEF coordinator said that by the target year, 42,000 primary and Quranic school teachers would have also been trained and mentored in child centre pedagogy.

He added that the expected result of the initiative was to ensure that 15,300 head teachers would have been trained in school effectiveness, efficiency and curriculum management.

“The programme is not focussing on girls alone, but also to make sure that by 2020, an approximate 1.9 million boys will also benefit from the GEP 3 investment through improvement to teachers quality and school governance,” Akanet said.

Also, Mr Muntaka Muktar, UNICEF Education Specialist in Kano, said that the Integrated Quranic Schools had been introduced in the state to afford children the opportunities to have formal education.

Muktar said the Quranic schools afforded children to learn within their environment, while the core subjects had been integrated into the schools.

“The integration of core subjects like Mathematics, English and others into the Quranic schools will enable children to have the opportunity to read.

“After learning from the Quranic schools, they can now mainstream it to any public school close to them,” he said. (NAN)

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Nigeria’s Historic Bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games: A Call for National and Global Support

Published

6 days ago

September 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria is poised to make history as it seeks to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a monumental opportunity that promises to transform the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and global standing.

More than a sporting spectacle, the Games would serve as a catalyst for development across multiple sectors, leaving behind a legacy of national pride and sustainable growth.

The benefits of hosting the Games extend far beyond the sports arena. Nigeria stands to gain both empirical and non-empirical advantages, with direct, indirect, and induced impacts that will touch every corner of society. Infrastructural development will take center stage, with new facilities such as indoor sports halls, conference centers, and improved road networks reshaping urban landscapes while strengthening the nation’s capacity to host future international events.

Economic growth is another significant dividend. Over 10,000 jobs are expected to be created, spanning construction, facility management, event planning, and tourism services.

The hospitality industry will undergo major improvements as hotels and resorts are upgraded to meet international standards, while local restaurants, lounges, and tourist attractions will see a surge in patronage from international visitors. Small and medium enterprises, particularly in the transport, finance, and food service sectors, will become some of the greatest beneficiaries, as the Games generate new demand and expand opportunities for local businesses.
The Commonwealth Games will also accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s sports industry.

Investments in training facilities, coaching, and talent development will inspire a new generation of athletes, ensuring long-term benefits that extend beyond 2030, a major focus of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
At the same time, the process of preparing for the Games will create opportunities for Nigerians to learn new crafts, acquire technical skills, and engage in global-standard event management, thereby strengthening human capacity and innovation across industries.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, and Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Director General, have been widely recognized for their tireless and visionary leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s sporting sector.

Their commitment to facilitating infrastructural development and strengthening grassroots sports development has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s bold bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Under their leadership, the NSC is fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovation in sports administration, they have demonstrated the nation’s readiness to stage an event of such global magnitude.

Beyond the tangible gains, the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games carries profound symbolic value. It would be a moment of unity and pride, a chance for Nigeria to showcase its cultural richness, resilience, and excellence to the world.
As a centenary edition, the Games would stand as a historic milestone not just for the Commonwealth but for Nigeria itself, cementing its place on the global stage as a capable, ambitious, and forward-looking nation.

The gains from hosting the Commonwealth Games can never be undermined or overemphasized. This is Nigeria’s time to step forward and show the world our resilience, and excellence. We call on every Nigerian, across sectors and communities, to support this noble aspiration.

Nigeria’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a vision for transformation, a blueprint for national development, and a legacy project that will inspire generations to come.

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