Education
Chibok Girls: UNICEF urges Nigerian Govt. to make schools safe
Chibok Girls: UNICEF urges Nigerian Govt. to make schools safe
As part of activities marking the eight years commemoration of the Chibok girl’s abduction in Borno State, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has, in a statement, appealed to authorities in Nigeria to make schools safe and provide a secure learning environment for every child in the country, especially for girls, to increase girls’ enrolment, retention, and completion of education.
The statement, which was signed by the UNICEF country representative, Peter Hawkins, on Thursday, was to mark the abduction of the 276 students at Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok.
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“Today marks eight years since the first known attack on a learning institution in Nigeria on 14 April 2014, in which 276 students at the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in North-East Nigeria were abducted by a Non-State Armed Group.
“Since then, a spate of attacks on schools and abductions of students – sometimes resulting in their deaths – has become recurrent in the last two years, especially in the North-West and North-Central regions of Nigeria. Since December 2020, 1,436 school children and 17 teachers have been abducted from schools, and 16 school children lost their lives.
“Unsafe schools, occasioned by attacks on schools and abduction of students, are reprehensible, a brutal violation of the rights of the victims to education, and totally unacceptable. Their occurrences cut short the futures and dreams of the affected students,” Peter Hawkins remarked in the press release.
Hawkins added: “Attacks on learning institutions render the learning environment insecure and discourage parents and caregivers from sending their wards to schools, while the learners themselves become fearful of the legitimate pursuit of learning.
“The invisible harm school attacks inflict on the victims’ mental health is incalculable and irredeemable.”
He further said, “Girls have particularly been targeted, exacerbating the figures of out-of-school children in Nigeria, 60 per cent of whom are girls. It is a trajectory which must be halted, and every hand in Nigeria must be on deck to ensure that learning in Nigeria is not a dangerous enterprise for any child, particularly for girls.”
The organisation stated that “In Nigeria, a total of 11, 536 schools were closed since December 2020 due to abductions and security issues.
“These school closures have impacted the education of approximately 1.3 million children in the 2020/21 academic year. This interruption of their learning contributes to gaps in children’s knowledge and skills and may lead to the loss of approximately 3.4 billion USD in these children’s lifetime earnings. This risks to further perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality.”
According to the press release, UNICEF, with generous funding from donors, is collaborating with the government of Nigeria to protect children’s right to education in a safe and inclusive learning environment. This involves building the capacity of School-Based Management Committees on school safety and security and strengthening community resilience.
The statement read further: “In Katsina State, 300 SBMC members have been trained, and schools, supported through the Girls’ Education Project funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom, have developed Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans to mitigate the impact of potential and actual threats.
“Multi-sectoral task teams on school safety have also been established across all the 34 LGAs of Katsina State to provide timely and efficient networking among actors on school security, with particular focus on the safety of girls. Additionally, 60 Junior Secondary Schools have developed emergency plans and tested the plans in evacuation drills.
“In Katsina State, government and communities have fenced some schools, and this is encouraging girls to attend school, underscoring the reality that collaboration is required in addressing insecurity in schools and making schools safe, especially for girls,” said Hawkins.
“Although Nigeria has ratified the Safe Schools Declaration, schools and learners are not sufficiently protected. Unless greater attention is given to protecting children, teachers and schools, they will continue to come under attack. Urgent, coordinated action is needed to safeguard the right to learn for every child in Nigeria.”
321 companies jostle for UBEC projects in Adamawa
No fewer than 321 companies have tendered their bids for the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Matching Grant projects in Adamawa.
Dr Murtala Babayi, Executive Chairman Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board (ADSUBEB), disclosed this at the Pre-qualification Technical Bid Opening Ceremony in Yola.
According to him, the event underscored the state government’s commitment to due process, accountability and transparency.
Babayi, however, cautioned the contractors against conniving with any individual at the board to engage in fraudulent documentation.
“We are calling on all of you the biders; you should ensure that you did not follow any route that will involve you into trouble in the near future.
“You should also not try to compromise with our staff by bringing in papers that are not up-to-date. If at any time we discover this we will deal with any perpetrator,” he said.
The chairman listed the projects to include construction of one block of three classrooms with office and veranda, supply of school furniture, drilling of solar-powered boreholes and construction of perimeter fence.
He commended Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri for his timely release of funds and commitment to basic education as a right to every child.
In her remarks, Mrs Rahila Gyndi, the Board’s Director of Procurement, said the bid was in compliance with section 16 of the Procurement Act 2007.
She said the Act stipulated that only contractors with the requisite capacity, resources, and experience were eligible to participate in government procurement processes.
Gyndi assured that the board would soon come up with a list of successful bidders who would qualify for the next stage of the process.
Mr Philip Dawa, who spoke on behalf of the biders, appreciated the board for giving them the opportunity to submit their proposals for consideration.
He assured that successful companies would do a quality work in compliance with the projects’ deadline and specification.
Adamawa, GPE open bid for 14 projects
Adamawa Government with Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has opened a bid for 14 projects to upgrade Mega Science Technical School, Gulak to College of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Studies (COTIES).
Speaking at the bid opening, in Yola, Hajiya Aisha Umar, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, said the government was committed to ensuring due process was followed when contracting projects.
“That’s why we are here today, to at least show the world that we are doing the right thing.
“I’m expecting that the right people will be awarded the contract; those that are here, and those that complied with the rules and regulations,” she said.
Umar said that 45 companies have currently bidded for 15 categories of the projects.
Umar assured that they would observe transparency in selecting those that would do the contract.
In his remarks, Mr Faruq Adamu, Procurement Officer, identified the 14 projects as the construction of electro-mechanical services and perimeter fencing of Hong and Lamurde Mega Science Schools.
The construction of four Block of 80-Room Hostels with Porter’s Lodge, Common Room and toilets each are among the projects.
Others are the Construction of one Block of 4-Bedroom Bungalow with One-Bedroom Boys’ Quarters, and one Block of 3-Bedroom semi-detached Bungalow for Rector and Deputy Residences in Gulak.
Adamu added that fencing of Hong and Lamurde as well as additional Electro-Mechanical Services were among the work to be done.
Responding on behalf of the contractors, Mr Adamu Umar, appreciated the state government for following due process and transparency.
He assured that, as professionals, they would abide by all the guidelines for a successful business
Adamawa, GPE open bid for 14 projects
Education
Current Low Level of Women Participation in Decision Making, Unhealthy, Cannot Be Excused- Acting VC, UNIAbuja
Current Low Level of Women Participation in Decision Making, Unhealthy, Cannot Be Excused- Acting VC, UNIAbuja
By: Michael Mike
The Acting Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Prof. Matthew Adamu, has advocated for more women in positions of policy and decision making, insisting that the current low level of female participation is unhealthy and cannot be excused.
He made the call on Monday in Abuja at the induction ceremony of over 50 postgraduate students of the Centre for Gender Security Studies and Youth Advancement.
Adamu, who was represented at the occasion by his Senior Special Assistant on Academic Matters, Prof. Rhoda Mundi, stated that females constitute about 49.5 per cent of Nigeria’s population with males standing at 50.5 per cent, yet men continue to dominate the nation’s leadership and governance spaces.
The university don described the situation as a challenge that requires collective action, adding that gender imbalance continues to limit Nigeria’s development potential.
He decried that: “When you look at decision-makers and those who take part in decision-making, it is largely the male population. Yet, our population is almost evenly split between men and women,” insisting that: “No society can attain its full potential if half of its population is held back by discrimination or unequal access to opportunities”.
He advised the inductees to see their admission as a call to action, stating that: “This ceremony represents a commitment to learning, inquiry, and advancing the ideals of gender equality and social justice”.
He added that gender studies is a vital field that broadens understanding of how gender intersects with class, ethnicity, religion, and other social identities.
He said: “As students who will graduate from this institution, we expect that when you go out, you will make an impact. Upon graduation, there will be a difference between you who have graduated here, not just from the University of Abuja, but specifically from the Centre for Gender Security Studies and Youth Advancement”.
The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Hajiya Binta Bello asked the students to uphold discipline, integrity, and service as they prepare to contribute to national and global development.
Bello, who was represented by Hadiza Chiroma said: “You represent the next generation of leaders and change agents that our nation looks up to. Let this induction mark the beginning of a journey that will not only advance your academic pursuit but also position you to contribute meaningfully to national development and global human security.”
She commended the Centre for its consistent work in promoting gender equality, human security, and youth empowerment, noting that these ideals align with NAPTIP’s mandate to protect the dignity and rights of all persons, particularly women and youth vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
The Director of the Centre, Dr. Theresa Akpan while welcoming the inductees, reminded them that they are ambassadors of the Centre and urged them to put their knowledge into practice.
She said: “Gender is not a women’s issue but a shared social concern. Gender is not a woman thing; it’s for men and women. We want society to be balanced. So, if we all put our hands together, the society will be balanced, and all the injustices we are talking about will be done away with”.
Current Low Level of Women Participation in Decision Making, Unhealthy, Cannot Be Excused- Acting VC, UNIAbuja
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