The Girls Education Programme GEP3 an initiative of the United Nations Children’s Fund UNIICEF with funding by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office was introduced in 2012 to improve basic education,increase social and economic opportunities for girls and reduce disparities in educational outcomes between girls and boys.
Implemented in six Nigerian Northern states of Katsina, Kano, Niger, Zamfara,Sokoto and Bauchi states,an overview of the programme indicates that additional 1.5 million girls were enrolled into the school system.
With the programme winding up after 10 years of Intervention, the federal government says it has reshaped girls education especially in northern Nigeria.
Speaking at a closing ceremony of GEP 3 in Abuja, the minister of state for Education, Goodluck Nana Opia, applauded the gains of the initiative and restated the federal government commitment to investments that would guarantee education for all.
Speaking at the occasion, the UNICEF Representative to Nigeria, Cristina Munduate said GEP3 has redefined the scope of education in Northern Nigeria as well as address poverty related challenges impeding against school enrolment in the benefit states Earlier in her remarks,the British High commissioner to Nigeria, Catrina Laing described the programme which gulped over 80 million pounds as one of the UKs longest bilateral girls education program.
Other takeaways from the meeting include the need for unwavering political will to drive the sector as well as sustainability plans expected to drive the programme beyond GEP3.