The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Global Partnership for Education Accelerated Funding (GPE-AF) project, has announced plans to support two million out-of-school children in Northeast, Nigeria.

The initiative will help the children enroll in school and access quality learning opportunities.

Safiya Yoba Akau, Communications, Advocacy, Media, and External Relations officer at UNICEF, in a statement highlighted the project’s goal of addressing the region’s ongoing education crisis.

The project will work alongside the Federal Ministry of Education, the Government of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, and the Global Partnership for Education, strengthen the education system and improve educational access for displaced children.

Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, expressed gratitude for the new funding phase, saying, “UNICEF is grateful for this new funding phase that will guarantee access to education for some of the world’s most disadvantaged children and improve the quality of education services available to them. Education is a right for all children, including those affected by conflict, and it should never be denied.”

This initiative is in response to the devastating impact of prolonged armed conflict and climate-related disasters, which have disrupted critical services, including education, in Northeast Nigeria.

UNICEF’s recent data shows that 10.2 million primary-age children and 8.1 million secondary-age children are out of school across Nigeria. In Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states alone, 2 million children are currently without access to education, with only 29% of schools meeting minimum teacher qualification standards.

The GPE-AF project, which will run from 2024 to 2025, aims to ensure that more displaced children enroll and complete school. It will also enhance the quality of teaching through teacher training, provide learning materials, and strengthen education systems to promote resilience and equity in the region.