The World Bank has expressed satisfaction with the level of implementation of the 180 million dollars Science and Technology Education, Post-Basic (STEP-B) projects in selected federal institutions in Nigeria.
?The World Bank Senior Education Specialist in Nigeria Dr Tunde Adekola, expressed the feeling in Abuja on Tuesday at a meeting of the National Education Sector Steering Committee on Donors' Assisted States Education Projects.
?Adekola said that the bank was pleased with the level of implementation of projects since it started in 2007. He said for a long time, Nigeria went back and forth rating unsatisfactory and moderately satisfactory.
?“World Bank is currently spending N55 billion on education projects in 10 states and we are planning to expand the intervention this year.
“We are basically spending 95 million dollars in the Lagos Eko project while 90 million dollars is for Lagos, five million dollars will be for federal.
“We are also spending 150 million dollars on Programmatic Result Learning project in Bauchi, Anambra, Ekiti and Edo and 100 million dollars on Global Partnership on Education in Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto, ‘’he said.
?Adekola said by June the bank would introduce a policy note on basic education and skills acquisition in Nigeria, where more than 100,000 households had been interviewed.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa'I, ,on her part, appealed to states to address the challenges of the education sector.
Rufa’I said that challenges that could hamper progress had been identified in the sector, including developing sectoral plans and conducting annual school census.
Others are improving literacy, building and equipping technical schools and access to matching grants. She thanked the World Bank for the continuous support of the Nigerian education sector.
?The minister said that the federal component of the Lagos Eko project had also helped in the drive to enhance quality training of education personnel, including teachers.
“I expect the project to complete the work started on supporting the ministry in the provision of some infrastructure for its Education Management Information system,'' she said.
Also, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, said that the World Bank was desirous of improving the quality and access of the Nigeria education.
?“We believe that when we work in synergy and collaboration, development partners will always identify areas for which they can provide support to Nigeria.
“I want to say that the support we get from our development partners must be efficiently managed and utilised. “We must review the World Bank strategy from time to time and adopt those that are viable, ‘’he said.