Officials at project startup workshop in Sokoto
PLAN International,  an independent development and humanitarian non-profit organization has unveiled an educational support project, tagged “Accelerating Basic Education and Livelihood Opportunities (ABEP) for Children and Youth” in North West Nigeria.
The ABEP Coordinator in Sokoto State, Mr. Joseph Julius, made this known at the end of the project startup workshop in Sokoto.
Julius said the project is a European Union-funded program to be implemented by partners in Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto states.
He explained that the implementing local governments are Bodinga, Tambuwal, Gwadabawa, and Sokoto North local government areas of Sokoto state.
“The project is to support education and youth empowerment by providing youth, in particular girls in rural underserved and nomadic communities, with access to inclusive gender transformative and conflict-sensitive equitable quality education.
” Other areas comprise skill development by providing increased access to vocational training, including training for green jobs, and developing critical skills for women and girls, youths and nomads in the 3 states, “Julius said.
He explained that the three-year project is envisaged to increase access to safe, quality, and inclusive alternative accelerated education programs for 324,000 young girls and boys including
persons living with disabilities as well as ensure their transition into formal and non-formal education.
” To increase access to livelihood opportunities, vocational education, and green Jobs opportunities for 60,000 youths.
” Advocate for and strengthen the capacities of community stakeholders on peaceful coexistence, safe schools, and girls empowerment”.
‘The project will also ensure that out of the 324,000 young boys and girls to benefit from the Accelerated Basic Education Programmes, 32,400 will be persons with disabilities through learning centers and support their transitions from non-formal to formal education, he added.
According to him, the project will also support vocational training and employment opportunities on green jobs for 60,000 youth out of which 6,000 will be persons with disabilities along with linking of 20,000 trained youths to public, private sector organizations and non-governmental initiatives.
Julius said, ” 300 facilitators will be trained to create 300 Village Savings and Loan Schemes and 150 safe spaces for girls and young women to support learning of social skills and green jobs opportunities.
” Train 120 peace club facilitators to integrate peace education into schools curricula and promote conflict resolution and prevention strategies.
” The project will equally enhance the capacity of 3, 000 girls, boys and youths to promote and advocate for peaceful coexistence, girls education and empowerment to foster behavioral  change through innovative media approaches and strengthen their capacity, ” he added.
He noted that 180 teachers and 720 facilitators would be engage for effective delivery of the ABEP national curriculum in the states.
” At least 60 government workers will be engaged on capacity strengthening to monitor, manage the use of learner centered, gender responsive inclusive teaching approaches.
” It also targeted to strengthen the capacity of 60 schools, community stakeholders and security officials to ensure the implementation of Safe School Declaration (SSD) to promote the safety of schools, ” Julius said.
The project, he added, will engage with the Federal and State agencies such as the Ministry of Education, State Agencies for Mass Education (SAME) and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other governance and community structures to implement the interventions.
In his remark, Mr Charles Amiolemen, the People and Culture Officer of PLAN International mission, said the partnership with stakeholders is to ensure that 20 million girls can read and write within the next five years.
Amiolemen said PLAN International as an humanitarian non profit organization has no religious, political or any affiliation but solely interested in adding meaning and value to the lives of children and youths.
“”PLAN International is being guided by the core values of striving for lasting impact, hence they challenge themselves to be bold , courageous, responsive and innovative, open, honest, transparent and accountable.