The Federal Ministry of Education (FME) has stated that the ministry provided solar-powered boreholes to 25 Federal Government Colleges (Unity Schools) in the six geo-political zones in 2016.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, made this known on Monday while defending the 2017 budget of the ministry before the Senate Committee on Education (Basic & Secondary) in Abuja.
He said that besides the borehole, the government also provided sanitary facilities as well as modern kitchen and dining halls to the schools.
“Some of the key achievements of the ministry in 2016 are the development of a roadmap for the education sector for 2016-2019.
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“We also successfully implemented the Safe School Initiative Project with students of the Federal Unity Colleges located in the North-East integrated into other colleges across the country.
“There was also the development of teacher’s guide on teaching, learning and reading skills,” he added.
He, however, said that out of N13.7 billion appropriated to the unity schools in 2016, only N5 billion was released, representing 38 per cent of the budget, adding that the amount released was fully utilised.
On the 2017 proposal, the minister said the sum of N448 billion was proposed for the ministry and all the sub-sectors under it.
According to him, the ministry’s budget is 17.9 billion, parastatals, N38.5 billion; colleges of education, N43 billion; polytechnics, N61 billion; universities, N238 billion; unity colleges, N42.9 billion and UNESCO Paris, 510.8 million.
He pointed out that the ministry would ensure that the allocation was channelled towards rebuilding infrastructure.
According to Adamu, the ministry will focus more on rebuilding infrastructure in the North-East in view of the dire need of the region.
He assured that the ministry remained committed to creating a robust enabling environment for Nigerian children and youths to obtain quality education. (NAN)
