NGO takes Nigeria’s out-of-school campaign to England
By Ruth Oketunde
The education charity, IA-Foundation has taken its campaign to Kent in South East England, to sensitise the international community on the negative impacts of the out-of-school crisis in Nigeria.
The charity has since 2019 been pushing to eradicate the out-of-school problem in Africa’s most populous nation, where no fewer than 20.2 million are currently out of school.
UN agency, UNICEF records that insecurity, poverty and rising cost of living have forced many kids, especially the girl-child out of classrooms in the expansive West African country, which is also Africa’s top crude exporter.
Education has suffered setbacks in recent years in Nigeria with universities in the country shut for about eight months, following a dispute between the Federal Government and university teachers over poor pay.
The Chief Executive Officer of IA-Foundation, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said it was time to take the out-of-school matter to the international arena.
She argued that the voice of the international community was needed to restore hope to millions of kids in Nigeria who had been made hopeless, due to their inability to have access to education.
Adeagbo said that Nigeria’s UK top envoy, Amb. Sarafa Ishola, and a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, would be at the 4th annual charity of the foundation to create international awareness and raise funds.
According to her, the event is slated for March 18 at the Bishop Justus CE School in Bromley, Kent in England.
She said that funds realised at the event would be used to open more opportunities for kids in Nigeria to return to classrooms, instead of roaming the streets.
“All the funds generated through the Annual Charity Ball will be channeled towards provision of bursary to support the education of children who are out of school.
“Emphasis will, however, be on the girl-child, orphans, physically-challenged and under-served kids.’’
Adeagbo said that no fewer than 100 children had benefited from the activities of the foundation in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Delta, Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The foundation has also distributed more than 3,000 learning materials that benefited over 100 households across Nigeria,’’ she stated.
She added that the theme of this year’s `Black Tie Charity’ is: “Securing the Future: the Imperative of Education for All.’’ (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Silas Nwoha
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