USAID to invest $100m in Nigeria’s education

The United States Agency for International
Development, Nigeria, said on Thursday that it would
invest $100m in the education sector of the country,
the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
Team Leader, Education, for the organisation, Mrs. Jill
Jupiter-Jones, made the plan known in an interview in
Abuja.
USAID is the US Government international
organisation providing economic, development and
humanitarian assistance around the world.
Jupiter-Jones said the money would be allocated to
five North-Western states of Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna,
Katsina and Sokoto to boost education.
According to her, the focus is on the northern part of
the country because the rate of education in the area
is the lowest, particularly the issue of girl-child
education
Jupiter-Jones added that the project would be carried
out in collaboration with some development partners,
such as UNICEF, Japan International Corporation
Agency and Britain’s Department for International
Development.
She said, “We are designing projects in five states in
Nigeria: Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto and Katsina,
through the Global Partnership for Education.
“One hundred million dollars will be divided amongst
these states to carry out a lot of activities that would
improve the educational sector of the country.
“We will invest money into these states to fill in gaps
that state governments cannot fill.
“We are working together with JICA, UNICEF and
DFID.”
She said the application process for the fund would be
ready by mid-September and that the funds would be
released in 2014.
Source :#Punch