Education Minister Launches 13 Projects In Kano

Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with Maslaha Homes Ltd, has launched 13 new projects at the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) Kano Centre in Farawa area of Kumbotso local government area of Kano State.

At the ground breaking ceremony in Kano yesterday, the minister of state for education, Dr Suwaiba Ahmad, disclosed that the project was under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The minister stated that the development of the infrastructure is not just a project but a promise to be fulfilled.

Dr Ahmad explained that the project is a pledge to provide every Nigerian with the opportunity to gain essential literacy and numeracy skills in line with President Bola Tinubu’s development agenda.

“It is my great pleasure to break the ground on the collaborative partnership between the Federal Ministry of Education and Maslaha Homes Ltd under a public-private partnership (PPP) land-swap arrangement.

“The development of 13 critical infrastructure at the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, Kano Centre in Farawa, is not just a project; it is a pledge.

“A pledge to provide every Nigerian with the opportunity to gain essential literacy and numeracy skills in line with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,” she said.

The projects include modern classrooms, training facilities, hostels, libraries, skills acquisition centre, administrative buildings, ICT centers and other vital infrastructure that are part of the mandate for the establishment of the centre.

Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the commissioner for Education, Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, said the Kano centre of NMEC holds a special place in the history of education in Nigeria which is a product of the visionary effort of UNESCO and the government in the 1970s.

“The centre was designed to be a beacon of hope, a hub for advancing mass literacy, adult education and non-formal learning in Nigeria and Africa. However, despite its enormous potential, progress has been hindered by resource constraints and other challenges, leaving much of this land unutilized.

“Kano has always prioritised education as the foundation of development. Last year, the state government set aside 29.91 per cent of its annual budget to the education sector, which was the first in the history of Kano State,” he added.

The executive secretary of NMEC, Prof Akapan Simon, said the centre was envisioned as a regional training hub for adult education in Africa, with the capacity to empower countless individuals by providing them with the skills, knowledge and mental resilience to make informed decisions and improve their quality of life.