As a follow-up to earlier visits by a delegation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) towards establishing facilities to encourage the study of Science, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and skills development in public schools across the state, a team from the Agency has arrived the state to facilitate take-off of programme.
The Executive Chairman, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board( SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, who conducted the delegation around selected pilot schools for the initiative to carry out research and survey, explained that the intervention was made possible through goodwill from the Agency which she said had identified the drastic revolution being implemented in basic education schools by the Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration.
The SUBEB boss, according to a press statement by the board’s information officer, Emmanuella Akese, stated that the intervention which is targeted at improving learning environment in schools as well as facilitating STEM and vocational education, with particular focus on the girl child would further complement efforts by the government to reposition basic education schools.
Adagba thanked Governor Alia for his sustained support for the board and his vision to change the narrative of public schools and thanked the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the intervention.
The Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr. Margaret Adamu in her remarks acknowledged the SUBEB chairman for resilience in attracting foreign investment in the education sector for the overall growth and development of the younger generation.
She assured the foreign donors of government’s commitment of providing the enabling environment for partnership and thanked the delegation for the willingness to invest in Benue’s education sector.
Consultant for the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Kenji Kawazoe who led the team of architects for the research and survey works said they were in the state for environmental assessment of the selected schools for determination of the appropriate facilities according to the needs of the beneficiaries.
The Programme Coordinator, Education and long-term training Programme for JICA, Stephen Nwanya emphasized that the grant aid project was interested in contributing to the growth of basic education with particular focus on Infrastructural design and construction, equipment support in ICT and vocational training to encourage STEM education.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency delegation team visited St Theresa ‘s Primary School Makurdi for the survey mission and is expected to travel to Otukpo to carry out research and survey at St Francis Primary School, Otukpo.
The schools are the selected pilot schools for the takeoff of the intervention programme.