United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) has donated 20 Schools in Box and Tents worth N45 million to be used as alternative classes for primary and junior secondary school pupils and students whom the state government converted their schools to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps for flood victims.
Gatekeepers News reports that the donation is part of the organisation’s efforts to return the affected pupils and students to classes to start learning as the state entered the fourth week from resuming schools for the new session.
Chief of UNICEF Kano field Office, Mr Rahama Muhammad presented the 400 Tent and 20 schools in a box to the State’s Emergency Relief Management Agency (SEMS) at Nasanawa village Primary and Junior secondary schools in Gwaram local government area of the state.
He said while giving a speech, “Today, I wish to announce additional support to the Ministry of Basic Education Jigawa through SEMA from UNICEF and UNHCR in form of 400 tents and 20 schools in a box with a total estimated value of 45, million Naira”.
Chief of UNICEF Kano field office, represented by Mr Mr. Michael Banda explained that in this year’s rainy season, the nation experienced the worst floods in a decade resulting in the collapsing and destruction of hundreds of public Education and Health facilities, water systems, and sanitation facilities.
The UNICEF official added that six million people are affected of which an estimated 70 per cent are women and children, across many states.
Banda said UNICEF therefore supports emergency prevention, preparedness, and response at the national and sub-national levels.
He said, “UNICEF and UNHCR hope this support will go a long way to ensure classrooms occupied by IDPs are freed to allow continued learning. Learning will be resourceful and qualitative with the use of school in a box”.
“UNICEF is partnering with JIGWA media outfits- both radio and television to ensure educational radio programmes begin to air immediately until December 2024 so that children can access to alternative learning through radio”.
Banda noted that teachers, and authorities from Ministry of Basic Education will work together collaboratively to ensure minimal disruption to the learning processes in all schools affected by IDPs.
He added, “One core strategy across development and humanitarian settings of the current UNICEF-Government of Nigeria Country Programme of Cooperation, 2023-2027, is to align interventions within the humanitarian, development, and peace “triple nexus” agenda, including resilience-building measures, sustainable solutions and humanitarian prevention and exit strategies”.
“Our programme pursues risk-informed humanitarian and development nexus programming, and strengthens the resilience of systems, households, and communities in line with UNICEF Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s Transformative Agenda and Grand Bargain”.
The UNICEF officer expressed hope that Jigawa SEMA will continue acting as custodian of the new plan of action, adding that he was happy to see them demonstrate leadership in recent inter-agency emergency response coordination meeting.
The executive secretary of the state emergency relief management agency, Dr Haruna Mairiga thanked the Agencies for the support.
