Global Peace Development (GPD) has donated three blocks classroom blocks and a solar-powered borehole to the Lafia Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Nasarawa State.
The nonprofit, Development Diaries gathered, made the donation with support from the government of Switzerland.
The intervention tagged ‘Support Education Infrastructure for Improved Child learning and Development in Nasarawa State’ is aimed at improving access to quality education and portable water for the pupils of the school.
Despite primary education now officially free and compulsory in the country, about 10.5 million children between the ages of five and 14 are not in school, according to data from the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In northern Nigeria, the lack of early childhood education has worsened with a net attendance rate of only 53 percent.
Speaking at a ceremony to hand over the project, the GPD Executive Director, Ebruke Esike, represented by the State Coordinator, Joy Tsaku, explained that the project was part of the organisation’s efforts in tackling illiteracy in Nasarawa State.
According to him, the intervention was a deliberate attempt of providing an improved learning environment for quality education in the state.
‘We witnessed a supposed learning facility lacking basic amenities as majority of the pupils sit on bare floor while learning took place because of inadequate classrooms and limited desks. About 113 pupils were using one classroom which could lead to child underdevelopment’, Esike said.
‘So we constructed three blocks of classroom, a solar-powered borehole and five toilets with septic tank which is equipped with hygiene facility. We also provided 45 desks for the pupils and three chairs and tables for the teachers.
‘We sought the assistance of the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria to provide basic amenities required for a conducive learning and teaching environment lacking in the school.
‘The project gulped the sum of N10,898,850, out of which N9,232,850 was donated by the embassy, so we are grateful for their support’.
For his part, a representative of the Lafia Local Government Education Authority, Abdullahi Ibrahim, thanked the nonprofit for the initiative, adding that he would ensure the facilities are maintained in order to encourage other organisations to bring more social amenities to the community.
Source: Punch
Photo source: World Bank Photo Collection
