UNICEF targets enrolment of one million girls in North by 2020

The United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) has targeted enrolment of one million girls into schools in Bauchi, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano states by 2020 through its Girls Education Project Phase 3 (GEP3).

It said the project, which has eight years span started in 2012 and is being driven by School Based Management Committee (SBMC), a combination of stakeholders from communities to ensure mobilisation of girl child to schools.At the ongoing media dialogue in Kano, UNICEF’s GEP3 Output Consultant, Richard Sheyin Akanet, highlighted the reasons for non-enrolment in schools to include distant location of schools, which represents 44 per cent, opportunity costs (36 per cent) and direct cost (26 per cent) for non-enrolment.

“The main reasons given for girls dropout from school are; direct cost which represents 29 per cent, those who are with no interest in education represent 25 per cent, while opportunities costs stands at 23 per cent,” he said.