The US has donated two million dollars to support the Safe School Initiative of the Nigeria Business Community and the Federal Government for education of children across the country.
The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, announced this at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja on Thursday.
She said the gesture marked strong collaboration between the United States and Nigeria.
“Today, I am happy to announce that the US Government, through the USAID, has donation two million dollars into this Multi-Donor Trust Fund and we are here to witness the signing of the MOU.
“I am also happy to inform you that the government of Qatar, through the Qatar Foundation, has also made a contribution of two million dollars into the fund.
“As you are aware, the safe school initiative was launched by the President and the UN Special Envoy on Education, Mr Gordon Brown in effort to make schools across the country a safe environment for children to learn.
“It is also to help teachers to teach, so that we will never again experience the abduction of school children from schools, like it happened in Chibok community’’, she said.
She added that since the inauguration of the initiative, the FG had built strong partnership with government donor agencies and private sector.
According to her, a trust fund domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria has been set up with 10 million dollars contribution from the Federal Government.
“We have also received donations of two million euros from Germany, and will shortly receive a grant of one million dollars from the African Development Bank.
“Other donors include Norway with 1.5 million dollars, given through the UNICEF and the UK with one million pounds in technical assistance.
The minister said the initiative also received 10 million dollars pledge by a coalition of Nigerian Business Leaders.
Source – Leadership ng
