The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a $50 million education initiative aimed at improving access to learning for children in Nigeria’s northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
This marks the second phase of the Multi-Year Resilience Education Programme, funded by education Cannot Wait, and was officially introduced in Maiduguri.
Vanessa Lee, UNICEF’s Chief of Education in Nigeria, announced that the programme targets at least 130,000 children, with a focus on girls, children with special needs, and those displaced by conflict.
The initiative also includes teacher training and the provision of learning materials.
The first phase of the programme surpassed expectations, reaching over 530,000 marginalised children and exceeding the initial goal of 170,000.
Building on this success, the second phase aims to further enhance educational opportunities in the region.
Currently, an estimated two million children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe are out of school, with 56% of displaced children not attending school and only 29% of schools having qualified teachers.
The programme aligns with Nigeria’s 2024–2027 education roadmap and is set to run until 2027.
It will be implemented with the Federal Ministry of Education and the state governments.
Borno State Commissioner for Education, Abba Wakilbe, expressed gratitude for UNICEF’s continued support and pledged full cooperation from the state government.
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