No fewer than 750 underprivileged students are to benefit from Aisha Buhari Foundation’s Future Assured Youth Educational and Empowerment Programme (FA-YEEP) in Adamawa.
Speaking at the flag-off of the training programme in Yola , the First Lady represented by the Lead Consultant of Future Assured in Adamawa, Prof. Abubakar Tahir, said the gesture was to complement government effort at all levels in addressing the problem of out-of-school children, particularly the Girl-Child.
“The case (out-of-school children) is most disheartening in the northern states where insurgency, poverty and socio-cultural norms have played key roles in further worsening what is left of the ruins of dilapidated structures, insufficient and poorly motivated teachers at all educational levels, ” the First Lady said.
The First Lady said that the Programme would be deploying e-learning technique for training the students who had once attempted but failed to pass certificate examinations to enable them cope with current realities.
She urged the beneficiaries to put in their best by taking the Programme beyond a support to pass exams, but an opportunity to add value to themselves, their families and the society.
In his remarks, the National Project Lead, Dr Naseer Ajoge, said the 750 beneficiaries were selected from the three Senatorial zones in the state.
Ajoge lauded the support from Presidential Committee on North East Initiative and Petroleum Equalization Trust Fund for their support to the project.
“We also want to especially appreciate Kongol Consulting, for being our foot soldiers in Adamawa state and collaborating to implement this project.”
In its goodwill message at the ceremony, Adamawa Government represented by the Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Sunday Stephen lauded the First Lady’s initiative and assured her of the state government support is addressing the issue of out of school children.
Stephen said the gesture would strengthen the children through education that would keep them away from being recruited for conflicts.
He urged other top Adamawa citizens to team up with the First Lady for maximum impact of the Programme in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Nelson Hussaini, thanked the First Lady for what he described as her motherly gesture to empower them with education which is key to success.
