In an effort to checkmate the Almajiri syndrome which constitute the largest percentage of out of school children in northern Nigeria, the Islamic Development Bank has approved a Financial Facility Programme for the promotion of Bilingual Education at the sum of $98 million.
Aimed at mapping up the Almajiri from the street and integrate them in to formal education system for them to be able to speak, write and interpret English and Arabic languages fluently, the Bilingual Education Project will cover northern states of Adamawa, Gombe, Nasarawa,Niger, Borno,Kano, Kwara, Kaduna and Osun states from the Southwest region.
Coordinated by Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the project includes construction of 30 Bilingual Education boarding schools that will help boost enrollment and tamed the scourge of out of school children syndrome with Awqaf and Istisnaa(real estate business) incorporated to provide sustainable income for the programme.
Chairing a meeting of education stakeholders in Nasarawa State, the state’s Commissioner of Finance Manira Abdullahi said the project is a loan which must be repaid, hence the need for effective implementation and prudent management of the funds.
According to her, the Nasarawa state Bilingual Education schools are comprehensive boarding schools situated at the three Senatorial Zones of the state with Wamba(Nasarawa North), Lafia(Nasarawa South) and Nasarawa town representing Nasarawa West.
