EU to invest €5.4m in teacher training to reduce out-of-school children in north-west

The European Union (EU) has launched a €40 million intervention programme on education and youth empowerment for the north-west region of Nigeria, where 20 million children are out of school, according to a recent UNESCO report.

The programme, which is part of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative that will provide €150 billion aid to Nigeria by 2027, aims to improve access, skills and quality of education in the region, as well as empower youth with vocational training and behavioral change campaigns.

Jutta Urpilainen, EU commissioner for international partnerships, said the programme will also invest €5.4 million in teacher training, as there is no education without teachers.

She added that the programme was designed with Nigerian authorities to ensure ownership and adequacy to the local needs.

She also said that the EU is involving the youth in the programme through the Youth Sounding Board, which will ensure that the programme is for the youth and by the youth.

Umar Namadi, governor of Jigawa, who represented the north-west governors, thanked the EU for the intervention and said the region is disadvantaged when it comes to education.

He assured that the intervention will be utilized in the best way possible and that the outcomes will be commendable.

Tahir Mamman, minister of education, said the federal government is ready to allocate 25 percent of its next budget to education.