By Chimezie Godfrey
Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, has called on the World Bank to assist Nigeria in reducing the number of Out- of- School children from 10 to 5 million by the year 2023.
Adamu stated this when a delegation of the World Bank led by its Country Director, Shubham Chawdry paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, his appeal to the World Bank is in line with the current administrations goal of ensuring that Nigerian children have access to qualitative education, irrespective of their economic backgrounds.
The Minister who expressed discomfort at the number of Out-of- School children in the country, said that the federal government is keen on reducing the number, in addition to improving the standard of education in the country.
He said that the Ministry was currently working with the World Bank on projects aimed at encouraging children back to school, particularly in the area of increased enrollment of the Girl-child.
He commended the Bank on its commitment to the development of the nations educational sector.
Adamu expressed government’s readiness for better interventions that will tackle obstacles to the eradication of the out- of -school children phenomenon.
In his remarks, World Bank Director, Shubham Chawdry, reiterated his organisation’s commitment to the improvement of the nations education sector.
Chawdry who emphasized that education is a sure way of eliminating poverty, pledged the readiness of his organisation to assist in financing more developmental projects.
The Country Director also declared the World Banks interest in long-lasting projects, adding that his organisation will no longer dictate developmental projects but leave the decision to governments as they are in the best position to ascertain the needs of their citizens.
