The United Nations Children’s Fund has inaugurated the distribution of learning materials, safety kits, and sanitary pads to 60 schools in Kano State.
Speaking at the event held at State Universal Basic Education Board headquarters in Kano, the Chief of UNICEF Kano Office, Rahama Farah, said the distribution would help children survive, thrive and develop to fulfil their potential.
According to him, UNICEF supports the government to provide basic education, as education remains an important pillar in helping children attain their full potential.
Farah said, “To improve access to education, UNICEF has been supporting the government to address the challenge of an unsafe learning environment.
“For instance, under the Girl Education Programme, UNICEF supported the training of School-Based Management Committee members, teachers, and pupils in Kano and Katsina states on school safety and early warning systems.”
He noted that the education sector in Nigeria was facing several challenges, which had impacted negatively on learning.
Farah urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the items, thereby appealing to the state House of Assembly to pass the bill on child protection currently pending before it.
The SUBEB Executive Secretary, Dr Danlami Hayyo, commended UNICEF for assisting the government in achieving its educational goals.
Hayyo, who was represented by the Permanent Commissioner of the commission, Kabir Ahmad, expressed delight with the materials, promising that the distribution would be monitored and judiciously used.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, commended UNICEF and the state government for the gesture.
