The U.S. through the Agency for International Development (USAID) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bauchi Government to support education in the State.
USAID Mission Director Michael Harvey signed for the U.S. while Gov. Mohammed Abubakar signed on behalf of the state.
Harvey said under the five-year MOU, Bauchi state would benefit from the 117 million dollars committed to education projects by USAID.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that USAID in November 2016 signed similar agreement with Sokoto State Government for the development of primary education.
The director who was not specific about the amount for each state said the MOU supported the Bauchi State Government’s goals and targets in its education sector strategic plan.
He said the MoU established a preliminary plan for joint monitoring and evaluation of progress in Bauchi State.
“This five-year MOU sets out the shared and individual commitments for collaboration in the education sector made by both USAID and the Government of Bauchi and provides a framework for mutual accountability for education activities in Bauchi State.
“The U.S. commends Bauchi State for its extraordinary efforts to provide greater learning opportunities for its children.
“This MOU will expand the partnership between USAID and Bauchi State to improve primary education in Bauchi,” said Harvey.
He said USAID supported Nigeria’s efforts to improve the quality of and access to basic education.
According to him USAID currently implements three activities that support Bauchi State efforts to improve the education sector which include Northern Education Initiative Plus, Education Crisis Response, and the Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development.
He said these activities build state and local government capacity and systems that would teach approximately two million primary school children how to read.
He said the project would allow nearly 551,000 children the opportunity to attend classes in community-based learning centres by the year 2020.
Gov Abubaker in his response commended USAID for the support it rendered for the state in the last ten years, adding that the project had assisted greatly enhanced the productivity in Bauchi state.
“The Bauchi State Government is committed to this project, we are committed to the promotion of quality education in Bauchi state.
“And, to this end we have earmarked 20 per cent of our budget for the education sector in the state.
“We have done that in 2016 and we are repeating that in 2017, despite the cash crunch we have done quite a bit for the education sector in the state,” he said.
The governor said his government intended to continue in that direction that direction because education was a key to economic development.
Abubaker said that he inherited a lots of problem in education sector especially primary and secondary sub sectors.
He noted that the tertiary was doing quite well but the feed stock to the sector was faulty which must be addressed.
“I am a product of public school and it is my dream to return the public education to the level they were when I was in primary and secondary school.
“With the help of USAID the lofty height are achievable.
“We there welcome the intervention and participation of USAID and the civil society and our doors are open to be corrected where we are wrong,” he said
