WORLD BANK’S DONATION OF N6.7BILLION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF KADUNA STATE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
WORLD BANK’S DONATION OF N6.7BILLION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF KADUNA STATE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
May 4, 2016
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I am fully convinced that leadership requires information about existing opportunities, ideas as well as commitment among others. There are many opportunities from international “DONORS” agencies cutting across so many sectors of the economy. We also have intervention funds ranging from Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Millennium Development Goals, MDGs (now SDGs) etc that our leaders past “mixed” or “wasted” either due to lack of information about the existence of the funds or commitment on part of the governments or both. “DONORS” agencies or “INTERVENTION” funds are usually conditional funds based on government commitment.
We have so many “DONOR” agencies that fund educational development, but the funds are usually conditional, based on the commitment shown by the government in question in term of investment in the educational sector. The government of Kaduna state has huge “BUDGETARY” in year (2016) for the Education sector. This huge investment by the government of Kaduna has attracted “investment” World Bank Project.
“In the oil Northern Region of Sir Ahmadu Bello, its first and only premier, the region used to spend about 40% of its budget on education, mostly secondary. The Northern governors should learn from this” Mohammed Haruna said: (Daily Trust: May 4, 2016:p.48).
Global Partnership for Education (GPE) a World Bank Project has donated about N6.7billion ($21million) to the government of Kaduna State. Governor Nasir El-Rufa’I while speaking at government House during the announcement of the donation by the World Bank representative said the 4,269 primary schools in the state are at varying states of collapse, he therefore, said he would use the “grant” for the rehabilitation/renovation of educational institutions in the state. However, the representative of the World Bank, Dr Olatunde Adekola said: “Kaduna will benefit $21million out of the $100 million available for education”
As a product of ideas Kaduna state government might even make profit from the school feeding programme. I find it very difficult to believe that the programme is a waste! The programme gives over 85,000 people direct jobs. Creating jobs will never be waste! Please have the patience and come with me! There was a report by the Unite Nations International Children Emergency Fund(UNICEF) which stated that majority of the children of the Sub Sahara African are suffering from acute Malnutrition which directly affects both their learning and retention capacities. Children are the future of every society! Going by this report if uncheck we have no future! Also the report of Out of School Children (OOSC) in Nigeria stated that there are about 15million OOSC out of which 10million are in Northern Nigeria. These embarrassing figures if not deliberately tackled might be the next sets of recruits to Boko Haram insurgent.
The government of Kaduna state is driven by ideas among others. information would have informed one that there are “Development partners”, “Donor agencies”, and United Nations agencies like UNICEF& UNESCO etc who are readily available with funds in order to assist the course of education but their funds is usually with conditions. The conditions being governments’ efforts (or equity contribution) toward the sector. There are a lot of “idle funds” under the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs (now Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs) but due to lack of ideas or commitment or both by our previous regimes they could not benefit from those funds. The UBEC ACT of 1999 sets up funds for educational development of “states” which 2% of that revenue is directly from the consolidated revenue funds. However, there is over N50billion staying idle in the CBN because for any state to access the funds they must give 50% counterpart funding for whatever educational project they will be embarking on. For years that opportunity is being wasted in Kaduna! United Nations organization (UNO) advised all developing nations to allocate at least 27% of their annual budget on education.
However, Governments with huge budgetary expenditure on their educational sector stand a better chance to access funds from UNO and other “Donor agencies” in order to complement their efforts. The education sector in Kaduna state 2016 budget got the second largest allocation after works & House ministry. With this Kaduna state might attract a lot of funds from “Development partners” in order to support the programme. As captured by Mahmud Jega our respected Monday columnist, in Daily Trust of February 22, 2016 “… Kaduna state will sustain it…partly because it expects the federal Government to reimburse it for 60% of the amount…” However, In my understanding Kaduna State might run this programme with the “least cost” possible or even “gain surplus” from it. Is this not a product of ideas? Come with me please!
Dangote & Bill& Melinda Gates Foundations had in January this year (2016) announced a combined commitment of $100million on annual basis from now to 2020 towards ending Malnutrition in Nigeria. They hope to improve the lives of at least five million families by 2020.They further said: “in the spirit of our new partnership, we, encourage even more deliberate & significant commitments from the government of Nigeria at all levels to step up investments in nutrition”. Dangote said: “Nigeria is home to the highest number of stunted children in Africa and the second highest globally.” He further said, “…almost one in five Nigerian children is acutely malnourished and more than one in three children suffer from stunting. He observed that, the North East & North west with, 23% of malnourished children is the biggest hit & would naturally benefit more than the other regions that has 11% prevalence rate” .He added that,”…11million Nigerian children are malnourished while 1.5 has suffered stunted growth” .Bill gates on the other hand, said: “…nutrition is one of the highest impact investments they can make in Nigeria’s future growth &prosperity. He added that, they knew that well nourished children are more likely to grow up to be healthy, fend off preventable diseases, achieve more in school and even earn higher income as adults. How many Northern states are qualified to access from this $100million funds? To the best of my knowledge so far only Kaduna state!
Some critiques have often said that we do not need free meal but schools rehabilitations, furniture, and qualified teachers. They are indeed very correct with this argument but unfortunately for them they do not deem it fit to read the budget speech of his Excellency thus: “…education with N27.5billion for the renovation and reconstruction of schools; primary school feeding; uniforms and tablets for secondary school students; and provision of school furniture. The public has responded with enthusiasm to our free education policy by raising school enrolment rate by 50%...”Excerpted from Governor El-Rufa’I’s budget speech.
Free School feeding programme and the provision of other educational infrastructure in the state is on-going “concurrently” in the state .Over 2,000 additional teachers with background in sciences; English language; Mathematics and ICT have been recruited and posted to various schools. Kaduna Furniture and Critall Hope companies have since been engaged with provisions of furniture and Windows and doors for the schools as mentioned sometimes ago by Isa Aremu in his Daily Trust column. Schools rehabilitations are on-going in phases in the state. Six science secondary schools will be built 2 in each of the three senatorial zones: Zone 1 Pambegua and Hunkuyi; Zone 2 Rigachikun and Buruku and Zone 3 Jere and Manchok. Distribution of free school uniforms all over the state has started. On teachers motivations In Kaduna state teachers can rise to level 17 now (as Director Tutors) all these are verifiable.
On teachers’ quality, Governor El-Rufai’I stated that 40% of teachers in the state are not qualified; he further said, the state would offer them opportunity to obtain the minimum qualification of National Certificate of Education. He further said that no teacher would be sacked on the basis of inadequate qualification, but would be retrained for greater efficiency (Daily Trust: May 4, 2016).
The Governor of Kaduna state understood the provision of the UBEC act and at the same has the commitment to excess the funds and development the educational sector of the state. Universal Basic Education Act, 2004 said: “section 11. Sub- section(1) The implementation of the Universal Basic Education shall be financed from-(a) Federal Government block grant of not less than 2% of its Consolidated Revenue Fund;(b) funds or contributions in form of Federal guaranteed credits; and (c) local and international donor grants. (2) For any State to qualify for the Federal Government block grant pursuant to subsection 1(l) of this section, such State shall contribute not less than 50% of the total cost of projects as its commitment in the execution of the project.(3) the administration and disbursement of funds shall be through the State Universal Basic Education Board”
“The Government of Kaduna state: Kaduna state Universal Basic Education Board; Pre-qualification of Contactors to Tender for Year 2014 Universal Basic Education Intervention-UBEC/SUBEB Projects… the Board wishes to invite interested, competent and reputable contractors to submit tenders for the following projects: CATEGORIZATION OF PROJECTS: Category ‘A’ Construction of New classrooms, laboratories, Toilets and rehabilitation of existing Schools facilities; Category ‘B’ Fabrication of ECCDE Games village and Installation; Category ‘C’ Supply of Pupils and Teachers Plastic Table and Chairs for ECCDE Classrooms; Category ‘D’ Supply of two Seater pupils Desk/Bench and Teachers Table/Chair; Category ‘E’ Supply and Installation of Laboratory fittings and fixtures and Category ‘F’ Fabrication of main and Pedestrian gates for Schools…”(Daily Trust: April 5,2016:P.11).
Teachers’ welfare! Teachers’ welfare! Teachers’ welfare! Should be looked at! May God bless Kaduna State!