Gombe gets $6m education grant

Gombe State is to receive $6 million basic education grant to reduce the number of out-of-school children and improve literacy level in the state.

The grant is coming under the Better Education Service Delivery for All, BESDA, which is a World Bank/ Federal Government funded programme, targeting at mopping up out-of-school children and getting them back to school.

BESDA National Programme Coordinator Prof. Gidado Tahir announced the grant when he visited Governor Inuwa Yahaya at the Government House.

Gidado said Gombe would receive $3 million in two trenches beginning from next week.

Governor Yahaya appreciated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for including Gombe as a participating state.

He described the World Bank-assisted programme as apt and timely, especially in view of his administration’s resolve to prioritise basic education.

He pledged to ensure backward integration of basic education in order to address the anomalies associated with it and improve the rating of the state in the index of performance in NECO and WAEC examinations.

He lamented the neglect of public education system by those who benefited from it, saying “We must change the narrative through a backward integration of basic education and no going back in this resolve.”

He reiterated his commitment to addressing the problem of out- of-school children which he described as alarming.

SUBEB Chairman Mr. Babaji Babadidi commended Governor Yahaya for his foresight in including teachertraining as part of his areas of focus.