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Tag: DFID

  • DFID to Nigeria: invest more in human capital

    The United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID), has advised the country to invest in human capital, if it must attain greatness.

    DFID Nigeria Head, Mrs. Debbie Palmer said this at the induction ceremony for new and returning governors organised by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja.

    Palmer said Nigeria’s population had always been a huge asset and path to its greatness, but for her to attain its greatness and to take its place in the comity of nations by 2050, “she will need to turn things around”.

    “We will need to invest in people, who will drive the economy of the country in the future. We need to nourish, educate and give the young population jobs, including the children that will be born in next few days, weeks and months.”

    Palmer said these determine a country’s future hence, there is a lot to do and it required urgent works.

    She also said Nigeria’s economic growth could be achieved by harnessing the potential of her population and that required hard infrastructure like roads and power.

    “It also requires a great deal of soft infrastructure, what we may call human capital,’’ she added.

    Palmer recalled that in the current human capital index, Nigeria was on number 152 out of 157 countries, and also had the highest number of out of school children in the world.

    “In order for the country to move to greatness, we need to nourish educated young people, who can take up work to create jobs for themselves, the families, societies and the nation.

    “Presently, Nigeria spends less on health proportionally than South Sudan, less than any country in the world,’’ she noted.

     

    Palmer said that the UK Government was determined to work with Nigeria to reduce poverty and promote prosperity.

    “Nigeria is our second investment globally. We gave nearly half a billion pounds to this country last year. And we will continue to work with you in partnership,’’ she said.

    She advised the governors-elect to deliver on their campaign promises now that elections were over.

  • Centre records 95 rape cases in seven months in Kaduna

    Mrs Juliana Joseph, the Director, Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Kaduna, said on Monday that the centre had received 95 cases of sexual assaults from January to July 2018, of which 16 were males.

    Joseph told the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna that 25 of the victims were minors from zero to five years; 28 victims from six to 10 years, and only two fell within 21 to 25 years age bracket.

    She added that two of the victims tested positive to pregnancy, while 15 tested positive to various sexually transmitted diseases.

    “Five cases were received in January, 13 in February, 29 in March, 13 in April, nine in May, 16 in June and 10 in July.

    “Out of the 95 cases, 19 were raped by neighbours, seven by security guards and 10 by family members namely fathers, step fathers, uncles and cousins, and three by school mates,” she said.

    She identified Tudun Wada, Kakuri Kudenden, Nasarawa, Hayin Banki, Gonin Goara, Dan Bushia, Romi and Rigassa as flash point areas with the highest reported cases.

    According to her, the perpetrators are being persecuted by the police, noting that the ugly development could have life time effect on the lives of the victims if continued.

    She urged caregivers to report to relevant authorities whenever someone took undue advantage of young girls or boys, no matter who might be involved.

    She said that SARC services were open to every member of the society for free, adding that a total of 104 cases, including 20 males and 84 females were recorded between December 2016 and December 2017.

    The director called on parents and caregivers to watch over their girls and male-child at all times, adding that every person should be treated as potential suspects.

    “We will only address this ugly trend if the perpetrators of such act were exposed and prosecuted,” Joseph added.

    NAN reports that Kaduna State Government inaugurated the centre in December 2016, to provide psycho-social counselling, forensic examination, medical treatment and legal services for victims of sexual assault.

    The centre, located at the Gwamna Awan General Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna, was established with support from U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) under its Justice for All project.

    The centre is being run by the Ministry of Justice, in partnership with Ministry of Women and Social Development, Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.

    The Ministry of Health provides forensic examination and treatment, the Nigerian Police investigates, and the Ministry of Justice provides legal services.

    The Ministry of Women Affairs on the other hand, provides psycho-social counselling for the victims.

  • DFID defends support for low-cost private education

    THE Department for International Development (DFID) has defended its support for low-cost private education in Nigeria, saying it has helped improve schools in Nigeria through a number of programmes.

    It followed enquiries by The Nation for the donor agency’s response to accusations by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Education International (a worldwide union of teachers and education personnel) that DFID provided £3.45 million grant to Bridge International Academies (BIA), a U.S. based company, to start private schools in Nigeria in 2014, rather than support the government to expand public education.

    Education International commissioned a research on low-cost private schools earlier this year, findings of which revealed that BIA was not accessible to the poorest of the poor and did not employ qualified teachers.  The research also noted that the Lagos State government relaxed regulation of low-cost private school.

    In an e-mail response sent by Chris Okeke, Governance Adviser, DFID Nigeria on Tuesday, the agency funded by the UK government to address global challenges, including ending extreme poverty, stated that it had supported the Nigerian government, particularly Lagos State government, to improve the framework for regulation of schools.

    The agency added that it gave support to the private sector because of the demand it met in absence of public sector provisions.

    The statement reads in part: “The United Kingdom (U.K.) government’s priority is to ensure children in Nigeria get the education they deserve. In the vast majority of cases, this means investing in the state sector to improve public education – most of the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) education funding in Nigeria goes to the public sector.

    “DFID recognises that whilst the government must be the guarantor of quality basic education for all, it need not be the sole financer nor provider.  Given the sheer scale of non-state provision in Lagos State, we believe it is appropriate to support critical state regulatory and oversight functions, in particular to address equity concerns and address barriers to the poor.”

    The agency also stated that most of its funding goes to the public sector, adding that the £3.45million given to BIA was a one-off grant.  It also said BIA’s performance was being reviewed.

    “DFID provided a grant of £3.45 million to BIA between 2014 and 2016.  This was completed satisfactorily in September 2016 with 23 schools opened. DFID does not provide ongoing financial support to BIA and has no future plans to do so.

    “As part of the evaluation of the DEEPEN programme, DFID commissioned an independent study to help DFID understand the quality of education provided by Bridge, relative to alternatives. The final report of the report is due in a couple of months and the outcomes will be shared widely,” the statement reads.

    DFID’s support programme for low-cost private education in Nigeria was implemented through the Developing Effective Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN), which wraps up its intervention in August.

    DEEPEN did not give grants or loans to proprietors of low-cost schools since it started in 2013.

    Its Team Leader, Dr. Gboyega Ilusanya, said in an email response to questions by The Nation that DEEPEN had strengthened quality in low-cost private schools through training and provision of business development services.

    He said: “DEEPEN has facilitated access to affordable and good quality trainings for head teachers and teachers to improve teaching and learning in such schools and as a result, the quality of learning outcomes of children that attend these schools. To date, 3,971 head teachers and 2,400 teachers have accessed these trainings through 15 service providers collaborating with DEEPEN.”

  • ‘Yobe’s partnership with DFID will accelerate reforms’

    Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has described the partnership with the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) as having a “positive impact” on governance.

    According to him, the partnership has led to the adoption of a Result-Based Management System (RBM), which is guiding the state’s socio-economic reform agenda.

    Gaidam spoke yesterday at the opening of a two-day workshop organised by the Bureau for Public Procurement in collaboration with DFID, to sensitise officials in the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of government on Yobe’s Procurement Law.

    The governor said some of the reform of his administration included the institutionalisation of comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation system (M&E) to track budget performance and the development of Medium-Term Sector Strategies (MTSS), Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) for financing various sector plans, adoption of budget classification and chart of accounts.

    He said: “As part of efforts to internalise the lessons learnt through collaboration with DFID, our administration has made it mandatory for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to conduct their activities transparently. This has checked the diversion of funds, misappropriation, revenue leakages, and misuse of public funds.”

    These efforts, according to the governor, led to the establishment of the State Board of Fiscal Responsibility and the Bureau for Public Procurement.

    With the take-off of the Bureau for Public Procurement, Gaidam explained, the activities of the defunct State Tenders Board has been decentralized.

    “This implies that each Ministry, Department and Agency as well as local government councils would have their procurement planning committees and Tenders Board.

    “This will ensure effective participation of all key stakeholders in the procurement process and enable them understand and internalise public procurement best practices,” he added.

  • DFID: Osun on right path to growth, development

    •Aregbesola hailed for determination 

    The Department for International Development (DFID) has lauded the giant strides and determination of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola in generating a robust development plan for the state.

    Also, the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development Dr Olalekan Yinusa said the workshops for Sector Plan Development teams, approved by the state government, were yielding good results.

    He said the state was putting in place a robust development plan for the state in all sectors.

    The DFID, through its Southwest Reform Facilitator, Miss Rachel Illah, made the commendation at a three-day Envisioning/Capacity Building workshop for Sector Plan Development teams on Medium Term Sector Strategy (2019-2021) organised by the Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development.

    It noted that Osun State was on the right path to development.

    Miss Illah said the governor’s passion, coupled with the machinery his administration set in motion for development, was encouraging and in line with the guidelines and regulations of the DFID.

    The DFID facilitator said the desire for growth and development by the state government, was worthy of emulation by other states in Nigeria.

    She noted that the most important ingredient of growth is the desire the state government had demonstrated.

    Miss Illah said the capacity building workshop was the right way to craft a development plan for any state, adding that no meaningful development can take place without a visible blueprint.

    She added: “I am amazed and impressed at what is going on in Osun. It is only very few states that do what Osun is doing. This is the best way to go, if you want to achieve a real and meaningful development plan or blueprint.”

    “This capacity-building workshop for sector plan development teams is a pointer to the fact that the state really knows what it wants to achieve in terms of growth and development.

    “I can see and feel the desire for growth and development by the people and government of this state. I can see through this workshop that the governor has been able to carry all stakeholders along.

    “I am happy to know that everyone is on the same page in Osun. This is what my organisation clamours for: that everyone, including the government, shares the same passion for development.”

     

    “This shows something significant. It shows the government in this state knows that it is not all about politicians. I am aware that this workshop is all-encompassing. I can see public servants, civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), market women.

    “I have also seen members of political parties different from the ruling party in the state. It shows that government knows that the particular needs of the people should be the priority and not what government wants.

    “A budget for development should be directed at the particular needs of the masses for it to be meaningful.

    “The happiness of the people should be paramount to the government in planning for development and the Osun State government has taken this as priority, or else this workshop will not be happening in the first place.”

     

     

  • World Bank supports primary school in Kaduna with facilities

    World Bank supports primary school in Kaduna with facilities

    The World Bank has supported the most populated primary school in Kaduna, LEA Rigasa,  with educational facilities worth more than N30 million.

    The school, which has a population of 22,240 pupils, would benefit from  facilities which  include  500 chairs and  50 mats.

    Malam Dahuru Anchau, the Director of Schools, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, disclosed this in an interview with  News men on Tuesday in Kaduna.

    He said that the items would assist in improving the teaching and learning of the students.

    Anchau, who is also the Project Coordinator, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in the state, said that the remaining chunk would be used to purchase books and other writing materials for the school.

    He recalled that the bank had in October  2017 ordered the immediate release of the amount during the bank’s midterm review of the N6 billion granted to the state under the bank’s GPE project.

    According to him, the bank’s representative, Dr Olatunde Adekola,  was moved to take action after he saw the pressure the over populated pupils had put on teaching and learning facilities in the school.

    “Adekola immediately announced the intervention for immediate upgrade of facilities at the school.

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    “Yesterday,  we supplied the school with over 500 chairs, 50 mats, bookshelves and other items for children’s playground with the first chunk of the money.

    “The remaining amount would be used to supply the school with books and other reading and writing materials as directed by the bank,’’ he said.

    Reports also have it that the bank is spending N20 billion under GPE to support girl-child education in the five states of   Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Sokoto where all indexes on education appeared to be very low.

    The partnership is being  supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and UK Department for International Development (DFID).

    The target is to increase reading and writing skills for pupils in nursery and those in primary one to three, and strengthen community activism and local governance.

    It is also aimed at expanding access to education through community initiatives and to increase the number of qualified female teachers in areas with high gender disparities.

    The state coordinator said that  over 3,400 primary schools have so far benefited from the programme.

    According to him, a total of 8,050 primary school girls from poor homes had received N45,000 scholarship grants to continue with their education, with 1,170 female teachers also getting similar amount to further their studies.

    NAN

  • Nigeria lost $32bn to corruption under Jonathan – DFID

    Nigeria lost $32bn to corruption under Jonathan – DFID

    About $32bn was lost to corruption during the six-year administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development said on Monday.

    The agency said the huge amount represented 16 per cent of the previous government’s resources that could have been channeled to development.

    The agency’s Head of Office, DFID Nigeria, Debbie Palmer, said this at the expression of undergraduate debates challenge to celebrate this year’s international anti-corruption day.

    The event was organized by a non-governmental organization, Youngstars Foundation Initiative in Abuja.

    She said millions of dollars tied up in legal challenges remained in other countries.

    Palmer said: “An independent report estimates that up to $32bn was lost to corruption under the previous government. This is around 15 per cent of state resources during the period and could well be an under-estimate.

    “So the estimate is that nearly 16 per cent of the previous government’s money was lost to corruption. That is a staggering amount of money. And that is money that is to all of you and to your future. That is why we all should care about corruption.

    “Millions of dollars also remain in other jurisdictions tied up in legal challenges.”

    Palmer said youths in the country have a critical role to play in President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft fight.

    She added that the UK is committed to supporting Nigeria to tackle corruption in all its various forms through its anti-corruption programme in Nigeria.

  • Group organises training for Media, CSOs, others on budget tracking 

    Group organises training for Media, CSOs, others on budget tracking 

    The Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), a DFID supported Organisation has organized a three day training on building of capacity on budget tracking and reporting for Media, Civil Societies, the State House of Assembly and other critical stakeholders in budget planning and implementation.

    The training which is being held in Kano at the Tahir guest inn have over forty participants in attendance mostly drawn from Borno and Yobe.

    The training apart from building the capacity of journalists on budget issues is also aimed at giving the stakeholders the requisite knowledge on how to build strategic partnerships and better coordination of their work in achieving better results in their activities in the northeast.

    Giving her opening remarks, the Deputy National Team Leader of PERL, Margarita Aswani tasked the media and the Civil Societies to work had to ensure that Borno, Yobe and the entire north east become safe for everyone to visit and work.

    She regretted how the crisis has restricted and stunted development in the region, adding that, “I cannot visit my favorite places like Maiduguri and Nguru in the Northeast because of this crisis. You people have a responsibility to make this place safe for us and many other people to visit. I urge you all to work hard towards that”, Margarita said.

    The Northwest Regional Team Leader Mrs. Elizabeth Sara explained that the training will have an overall impact on the citizenry if participants are well grounded in the entire budget processes in the states and make constructive engagements with the relevant stakeholders.

    PERL, she added will continue to identify and support citizen groups, government agencies and the media in forming strategic partnership to strengthening institutions and good governance for the benefit of the people.

    Participants are expected to develop a work-plan which will serve as a working guide to enable them commence engagement with government on participatory and citizens budget in the states of Borno and Yobe.

  • ‘World Bank’ll improve literacy rate among school-age children’

    ‘World Bank’ll improve literacy rate among school-age children’

    The World Bank Group said on Tuesday that it would continue to support Nigeria toward boosting the literacy rate especially among school-age children.

    Dr Olatunde Adekola, the Senior Education Specialist, African Region of the World Bank, made this known in a sideline interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the ongoing 10th Pan African Literacy for all Conference, Abuja 2017.

    NAN reports that the conference was organised by the Reading Association of Nigeria (RAN) with support from the International Literacy Association, and the Federal Ministry of Education, among others.

    “World Bank is more than 100 per cent in support of what RAN is doing. We believe in this effort and for the World Bank, we will continue to support the country to enhance literacy.

    “This is because literacy is a critical determinant of a country’s economy, growth, development and standard of living of the people.

    “There is need for concrete action to strengthen the literacy systems, policies, structures and the desire for the achievement of sustainable development goals.

    “There is need to think through holistic approach to providing inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels especially for the vulnerable groups and particularly, the girl child,” Adekola said.

    The World Bank official added that it had inaugurated a one-million dollar project to enhance literacy in the northern parts of the country.

    According to him, the project is a global partnership for education tagged ‘Nigeria Partnership for Education’.

    He said: “It is carried out by the World Bank and other development partners such as USAID, UNICEF and DFID in the North West of the country.

    “The focus of the project is first, to strengthen the government systems to deliver basic education for the children by improving the basic education service delivery especially at the early primary level.

    “The second focus is to improve both the supply side and the demand side of education in particular for girls.’’

    The education specialist noted that it was not enough to enrol children in school, as they would also need to be provided with the right type of learning environment to ensure proper learning.

    He said the project involved “Conditional Cash Transfer” whereby girls would be given scholarships to enrol in school and study for three years at the primary school level.

    “We also give scholarship to teachers who do not have the National Certificate of Education so that in the next three years they can attend College of Education and obtain the certificate.

    “We also provide materials. All these are to make sure that we improve literacy and numeracy at a very early stage of their education, especially in the first three years.

    “The project has a life span of four years. We are almost two years into it now.

    “We still have about two more years and the outcome is very good because we are now seeing more girls in school.

    “Nevertheless, we need partnerships, collaboration and cooperation between and within state and non-state actors to address the issue of literacy as a tool for problem-solving.

    “However, we will continue to support the country to enhance the literacy level in the country,” he explained.

    Adekola, who is also the Task Team Leader for the Global Partnership for Education in Nigeria, the conference would focus more on literacy, reading, language and learning issues.

    He stated that the idea is to ensure that children become familiar with the language in which they will be taught as a step toward improving their literacy.

  • DFID gives Lagos low-cost schools 100,000 pounds

    THE United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), through its Developing Effective Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN) Challenge Fund, has announced a 100,000 pounds-grant to support viable business models to improve education quality in Lagos Low-Cost Private Schools (LCPS).

    The project is expected to improve access to teaching development initiatives and services as well improve the financial performance of schools, such as better fee payment mechanisms or access to finance for schools.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by the DEEPEN Fund Team Leader, Akinwumi Oke, said the grant would enable Lagos LCPS service providers support unconventional solutions to problems in the private education sector through the skill of private enterprise.

    The statement said: “Grants will range from £10,000 to £100,000. Project activities funded by the fund must begin no later than September 10, 2017, and be completed by March 15, 2018.”

    It described the initiative as a platform to support innovations designed by the Lagos State private schools’ proprietors, service providers and other entrepreneurs.

    It reads: “The concept at the heart of the fund is ‘innovation’. The fund team takes a broad view of innovation and encourages proposals that go well beyond ‘business as usual’ and challenges applicants to find new ways to improve the performance, governance and influence of their proposed intervention in the LCPS.”