Ex- Kano Emir Sanusi To Raise $2m To Fund Female Education

Former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, is planning to raise $2m (N758m)through his Sustainable Development Goals Challenge to reduce the number of out of school children, particularly female across Nigeria and other African countries.

Sanusi who was a former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor said his vision was in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which targets improving access to education for the less privileged.

“We are hoping to start a fund raising drive to raise $2m for the financing of the project over the next ten years,” Sanusi revealed during the Fireside Chat with the advocates on Sustainable Development Goals.

Sanusi said child education holds the key to making Nigeria and Africa reach its potential, but he lamented that the gap was wide for the female child.

He said, “I believe that education in Africa, particularly girl child education holds the key to unlocking some of the problems around SDGs.

“Nigeria in particular has this big problem. Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, about 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5 to 14 years are not in school.

“ Only 61 per cent of 6 to 11-year olds regularly attend primary education, primary schools and only 35.6 per cent of children, 3 years to 6 years receive early childhood education.”

He lamented that in the North, the problem is bigger with a net attendance rate of 53 per cent.

The Ex- Kano Emir said getting out of school children back to school is a massive challenge.

“Gender like geography and poverty is an important factor in the pattern of educational marginalisation. States in the North East and North West have female primary net attendance rate of 47.7 per cent and 47.3 percent,” Sanusi added.

He said participating teachers would benefit from a $500 initial grant to support the piloting of their concepts and an 8-month coaching programme.