By Tasi’u Hassan
UNICEF has graduated 1,500 beneficiaries of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Hong local government area of Adamawa State.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Tusher Rane, says the initiative, which is under KFW 2 project funded by the Government of Germany, was aimed at training 6,000 young adults, female-headed households and other vulnerable people who were affected by the insurgency and cannot get back to formal schooling due to their current age bracket.
He explained that “The first batch started with 1,500 beneficiaries and a second batch of same has followed, this is the third batch.
Another fourth batch of 1,500
beneficiaries has been considered in this centre within these few weeks.
Our goal is to ultimately contribute to improving the economic status of people affected by insurgency, in Adamawa State”, he added.
Dr. Tusher Rane, who explained that 1,500 beneficiaries of Technical and Vocational Education Training have been indoctrinated with the skills of self-sustaining employment and value addition, urged the beneficiaries to maximize the opportunity to become employers and even train others in their communities.
Represented by UNICEF Education Officer, Bauchi field office, Raphael Adedipe, the Chief, also highlighted some of the recent achievements recorded in the education sector in the state courtesy of UNICEF’s partnership with the Adamawa state government.
The successes include provision of 210 Galaxy Tablet for digital literacy and enrolment of over 37,000 learners on the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) platforms to increase access through digital learning in 2023, provision of USD80,000 KFW grants to 80 School Based Management Committees (SBMC) in Fufore and Guyuk, establishment of 478 Girls for Girls and He4She Groups in 270 schools, training of over 900 boys and girls as well as mentors to advance life skills and citizenship education among girls and boys.
He added “Over 219,202 (90,369-Girls) additional children enrolled as a result of the enrolment drive and back-to-school activities in returning and host communities, while 262 School-based Management Committees (SBMCs) strengthened
and participating in school management at the primary levels
• 212,592 (91,675 – girls)”.
Despite the laudable achievements, Dr. Rane says “There are still some areas such as inadequacy of teachers due to inequitable distribution, low morals due to poor welfare, weak monitoring systems; and non-approval and release of government counterpart funding amongst others, which require strong
political will.
He, therefore, urged the government to ensure an equitable distribution of teachers that should be based on pupils’ enrollment and recruitment of more qualified female teachers.
He also enjoined the government to sustain the running of the skills acquisition for the benefit of the youth and female heads of households, even as he stressed the need for adequate provision of security in schools and the training centre.
In his address, the Education Secretary, Hong local government, expressed the government’s determination to sustain the training and advised the beneficiaries to use the skills they have learned to add value to themselves and the society.
Some of the beneficiaries interviewed, thanked UNICEF for coming up with the vocational training, saying it would make them self-reliant.
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