The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged governments at all levels in the North-East to increase funding for education.

Phuong Nguyen, the chief of the UNICEF field office in Borno, made the call at an event in Maiduguri on Wednesday to commemorate the 2024 International Day of Education (IDE).

“We must make a sizable and sustainable investment in teachers’ recruitment and training; school and security, including fortification of schools infrastructure against climate change disruption.

“UNICEF will continue to work with the government, donors and other partners to raise the bar of education for girls and boys affected by conflict and give them a future,” Ms Nguyen said.

She said that over 50 per cent of the displaced children in the North-East are still out of school.

According to Ms Nguyen, less than 40 per cent of schools in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe have teachers with minimum teaching qualifications. 

“For many children, the right to education has not translated into the right to learn, hence the learning crisis and other challenges that we are trying to address,” Ms Nguyen said. 

Some of the activities organised by UNICEF and donors to mark this year’s IDE in Borno include quiz competitions for schools, paper presentations, discussions, and field visits to schools supported by UNICEF. 

(NAN)