World Bank Country Director for Nigeria Shubham Chaudhuri has warned that the inability of the government to guarantee safe learning environment for children is a drawback to the country’s human capital development.
Chaudhuri, said this at the High Level Summit for Castle – Safeguarding our Schools: Protecting Our Children and Our Future Thursday in Abuja.
The World Bank Country representative warned that except the government adopts an all-inclusive approach to protecting the children, many would be denied their right to education.
He noted that the closure of schools in the FCT due to threats of abduction will further increase the number of out of school children.
In her speech, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, admitted that rising security challenges have led to closure of schools. She however assured of the government’s commitment to safety and security of schools across Nigeria.
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aliyu Ahmed, said in keeping with its responsibility to create a safer and more secure teaching, learning and living environment for her children has taken several steps in this direction.
In a bid to turn the situation around, Mrs Ahmed said the federal government was currently in talks with States, local governments and other critical agencies of government in order to identify the most transparent, effective and accountable ways of mobilising and deploying resources.