The minister of education, Tahir Mamman, says the federal government has delivered the phase one interventions of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities across 92 federal unity colleges (FUCs).

Mr Mamman said this during a presentation on the progress of the interventions by the national project coordinator, Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Amina Haruna, in Abuja on Friday.

He said that the WASH facilities would provide for a new rebranding of the schools, as well as give learners opportunities to learn in a conducive environment.

“This is what we want to see at our basic and secondary education levels.

“By the time we are done with the second phase, we will be having brand new facilities in our colleges.

“If we have this in place, we will be making little effort to persuade learners to go to school.

“We will be rebranding our schools in terms of facilities and lifelong skilling, and then we will be on the way to deliver on the agenda of our president,” he said.

On her part, Mrs Haruna said that the interventions had a positive impact on the well-being of learners and the entire community.

She explained that 40 per cent of the phase one project for WASH facilities in the FUCs had already been completed.

She added that the remaining 60 per cent, which is for infrastructural interventions, would commence soon.

“The disbursement of the balance of 60 per cent of the intervention fund to the 92 FUCs will be for the implementation of the next phase of the interventions.

“These interventions are for the construction of classrooms, laboratories, multipurpose halls, kitchens, ICT centres, provision of furniture, teaching and learning materials in the schools,” she said.

Out of the 115 unity colleges across the country, the intervention for the 92 colleges was provided for by AGILE.

However, interventions in the remaining Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTC) were handled by the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS), a World Bank-supported project.

(NAN)