A non-governmental organisation, ActionAid, in partnership with leadway Assurance Tuesday commissioned and handed over renovated dilapidated primary schools and distributed bags and learning materials in Tarbutu community of Bursari local government area of Yobe state.
The renovated school comprises of blocks of two classrooms, an office, a store and provision of furniture respectively.
In her remarks during the commissioning ceremony in Tarbutu community, ActionAid Nigeria’s director programme, Hajiya Suwaiba Mohammed, said the renovation and provision of the furniture will promote access to quality and inclusive public education for children in Tarbutu community and provide them with safe and conducive atmosphere for effective teaching and learning.
Suwaiba stated that according to the National Bureau of Statistics, 10 states in Nigeria are home to more than half of Nigeria’s out-of-school children, and Yobe state is one of these.
She noted that of the 983,469 school-age children in Yobe state, 427,230 are not in school, representing 43 percent (or 4 in 10 children).
The director programme further revealed that ActionAid Nigeria is committed to working with and in Yobe state to reduce these humongous statistics.
“We appreciate the generous donations, partnership and collaboration with Leadway Assurance. We enjoin more individuals and corporate organisations to partner with us on our community sponsorship initiative.
“Only with continued donations will we be able to support more communities and, by extension, help more children to enroll and remain in school.
“Community Sponsorship is an ActionAid Nigeria initiative that allows individuals to make voluntary regular donations to support extremely poor communities,” said ActionAid’s director, programme.
She said the organisation can help Nigerians in the most vulnerable and excluded communities across Nigeria to overcome poverty in areas such as the rights to food, education, and health, women’s right, and support for those in conflict and emergencies.