The Nigerian federal government has unveiled plans to allocate N15 billion for the funding of safe schools in the year 2023.
This announcement was made by Halima Iliya Ibrahim, the National Coordinator of the Financing Safe Schools in Nigeria initiative, during a press briefing held yesterday in Abuja.
The initiative, known as the Safe Schools initiative, was launched by the federal government in December 2022. The primary objective of this program is to ensure that children who have been affected by conflicts and insecurity can continue their education without disruptions.
It’s worth noting that on December 31, 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari formally endorsed “The Safe Schools Declaration Ratification Documents.” This move, backed by 118 countries, symbolized Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to prioritizing the safety and security of educational institutions.
The allocation of N15 billion underscores the government’s dedication to fostering a secure and conducive learning environment for the nation’s youth, even in regions challenged by security concerns.
Speaking on the initiative, Halima said: “The National Plan will be implemented between 2023-2026, with a total investment size of N144.8 billion. The Plan proposes N32.58 bn in 2023. N36.98 bn in 2024, N37.15 bn in 2025, and N38.03bn in 2026, respectively.
“To this end, the Federal Government has made a provision of N15 billion in the 2023. Funding of the Plan is through Annual Budgetary provisions from Federal, states and local governments, government interventionist agencies, foreign government and multilateral institutions, businesses and philanthropist, donors partners and others,” she explained
She said the financing initiative will kickstart this year with 48 schools each from 18 states of the country considered as high risk, adding that the financing will spread across other states in 2024.
