The United Nations Children’s Fund in collaboration with Qatar Foundation, says 501,749 children will benefit from its “Educate A Child’’ Cash Transfer Intervention Project. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the beneficiaries are drawn from four states: Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara. The UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Sokoto, Muhameden Fall, made the disclosure at the launch of cash transfer disbursement in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi on Thursday.
Fall said: “The overall goal of EAC is to expand access to quality basic education for 501,749 out-of-school children by 2020 in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
“In Kebbi, the programme will run in Danko-Wasagu, Suru, Maiyama, Argungu, Bagudu, Dandi, Gwandu, Koko-Besse and Shanga Local Government Areas within the first two years.’’
He said the objective was to increase access for school children in target states and to improve quality of teaching and learning environment.
He said: “To assist the household in sending their children to and keeping them in school as well as their females caregivers in the selected communities.
“They will receive an unconditional cash transfer of N8,000 per child whose age range between six and 11 years.’’
The officer added that the female caregivers would receive N48,000 cash transfer three times in a year before the start of each school term for a period of two years.
Fall urged the Kebbi Government to consider scaling up the programme to other Local Government Education Areas.
He commended the government for making education its top priority.
Also, the Kebbi Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sama’ila Yombe, said the government would always prioritise education and agriculture.
Yombe said this was important because humans only prosper in the presence of education and agriculture.
He urged the beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the money for the purpose it was meant to achieve.
Yombe also commended UNICEF and Qatar Foundation for their concern, support and for complementing government’s efforts at prioritising education in the state.