Stakeholders in the education sector have called for government and private sector partnership in providing free education in the country’s rural areas.

They made the call in interviews on Thursday, the sixth anniversary of the Not Forgotten Initiative School in Abuja.

The NFI is a school in Abuja run in a makeshift structure where indigent children get free education, uniforms, and lunch financed by private individuals.

The initiative, inaugurated in 2018 with 14 pupils, now has 111 pupils with seven classrooms, a library, a computer room, a hall, and toilets, among other facilities.

The founder of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani, said the quality of education would be improved in the country if 300 individuals emulate and replicate this initiative in rural areas.

“Nigeria today is a thoroughly divided society between the very rich and the very poor, and the children of the very poor have no opportunities for education. So this is a very critical initiative, a very much needed initiative, and it is God sent. You can see these children. You can see what they are benefiting,” he said.

Also speaking, the commissioner for works (rural and riverine) in Delta, Charles Aniagwu, described the initiative as laudable, especially in the face of the economic situation.

“It is a laudable initiative to be able to give back to society. I am told that all the people and students of this institution do not even pay fees. They take care of their fees. That is what many churches are not doing, what many mosques are not doing.

“For me, I believe with this kind of initiative, heaven is closer to the person than those who think that is only about singing, dancing and collecting tithe and all that,” he said.

(NAN)