The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has said that schools have been built closer to students in accordance to the recommend of the UNESCO.
The minister, who made this known during a visit by the UN Deputy Secretary, Amina J. Mohammed to Government Secondary School Kabusa in FCT as part of activities to mark her 60th birthday, said that as part of efforts to ensure that children have access to quality education as contained in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the FCTA has in the last three years, established 25 new secondary schools.
He said that this is in keeping with UNESCO’s recommendation that no child should walk more than two kilometers to school.
“Here in the FCT, we share your passion for education as the tool for personal and national growth. We have also placed a premium on education for the girl child as we have five fully functional boarding schools for girls, spread across the Territory.”
The minister, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Malam Bashir Mai Borno, said that entrepreneurial and vocational education are also being prioritized in the FCT with the intention that, upon graduation, students will become self-employed.
He described Amina Mohammed as an inspiration and a role model to millions of young Nigerians.
Musa Bello said that the visit of Amina Mohammed to the school will further encourage the students to realize their fullest potentials through hard work and determination.
While wishing her a happy birthday, the Minister said: “We are particularly delighted that you will be spending some time in our schools in Kabusa and interacting with the pupils and their teachers. This will really gladden them and we thank you for this.”
The Deputy Secretary General, who was visibly touched by the reception accorded her by the students, urged them to focus on their studies as they can be whatever they wish to be with education on their side. “Education is the foundation of any great nation and the first building blocks of your lives is education.”
In an interactive session with teachers of the school, Mrs. Amina Mohammed urged the teachers to continue to put in their best in the moulding the students under their care while assuring that the UN will continue to support the FCTA in every way possible to ensure that students in the territory get the best education they can have and the teachers get the enabling environment to impact knowledge.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Secondary Education Board, Yahaya Musa Muhammad congratulated Amina Mohammed on her reappointment as the Deputy Secretary General of the UN and urged her to use her global position to impact positively on the Nigerian education system.
Highlights of the occasion was the presentation of gift items to students of the schools by the Deputy Secretary General and the rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ song by the students to the delight of the celebrant and guests at the event.
Present at the event were the Acting Secretary, Education Secretariat, Alhaji Abdulrazak Leramoh, Acting Chairman of Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Mallam Hassan Sule and other senior staff of the FCTA.
