Nigeria’s business community in collaboration with the United Nations, UN Special Envoy on Global Education and Saadia Zahidi, yesterday launched the ‘Safe Schools Initiative’ at the ongoing World Economic Forum, Africa, WEFA, in Abuja.
The initiative, which aims to protect young people’s right to education in Nigeria and safer environment, has promised that 500 schools in the North-East will benefit initially from the pilot project.
The scheme will be co-managed by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Zenith Bank founder, Jim Ovia, Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, among others and backed by UN special envoy for education and former Prime Minister of UK, Gordon Brown.
Mr. Obaigbena, who represented the Nigerian business community in his remark, said the initiative is laudable and should be given all the necessary support from both local and international investors.
Mr. Obaigbena said as a matter of emphasis, terrorism cannot stop Nigeria.
“We cannot be defeated by terrorism. We must all work together to ensure a succeeding Nigeria. We need to work with the media, the youths and all Nigerians to ensure our schools are safe,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the UN envoy, former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown pointed out that the business community in Nigeria should be commended for the effort taken to launch the initiative.
He said the education system in Nigeria is being undermined, and called on the international aid agencies to partner Nigeria, and make additional funds available.
In his words, “The Nigerian government needs to assure the world that if a boy or girl goes to school, they should be assured of security. We are determined to make sure every child in Nigeria will go to school.”
Brown, however, opined that teachers and parents have a lot to do to ensure that schools attended by their wards are safe.
“Teachers should ask for security support to ensure that the schools are safe. Communities should come together and ensure that schools for children are safer, he added.”
He, however, stated that government cannot do it alone. According to him, the initiative is built on a three-point agenda: “One, is to get back the kidnapped girls; two is to make schools safer, and three, is to control the problems that have already been created by the insurgency.”
When asked on the criteria to access the funds, he said: “it will be based on the safety measures of the schools and the kind of funding Nigeria will be getting from the international community.”
The former Prime Minister of Britain said that efforts from the international community like the United States of America and others who have offered to help out in the search and rescue of the girls are enough confidence boosters for parents who will be too afraid to send their wards to school.
The WEFA will be formally declared open today by President Goodluck Jonathan at 10:15 am.
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