TheCable

Nigeria has been awarded a sum of $15 million as a response grant by the global partnership for education (GPE) for safe reopening of schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Binta Abdulkadir, director of basic and secondary education in the ministry of education, disclosed this on Wednesday during a cluster mobilisation and sensitisation meeting on COVID-19 protocol, surveillance and safe school reopening readiness.

Abdulkadir, who was represented by Achede Owoicho, deputy director of basic and secondary education, explained that Nigeria got the grant as a result of previous engagements with GPE.

“At the end of our engagement with the GPE, a 15 million-dollar grant was given to Nigeria as part of the COVID-19 response grant for the country,” the director said.

“UNICEF was chosen as the grant agent to receive the monies and disburse, since global players do not give their money directly to the government.”

Owoicho commended the GPE for approving Nigeria’s application for assistance to mitigate the loss of learning time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On her part, Mairama Dikwa, education specialist, UNICEF Bauchi office, called for the support of state governments to ensure effective disbursement of the funds.

“In spite of all these challenges, UNICEF with other stakeholders put in place measures to ensure learning continues, by working extensively on home-based programmes,” NAN quoted her to have said.

According to information from the GPE website, the grant will support 16 states, “representing 63% of schools and nearly 70% of children”.