FG, EU launch €40m education, youth empowerment project for Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa

The Federal Government, in partnership with the European Union (EU), has launched a €40 million Education and Youth Empowerment Programme aimed at addressing the education crisis in Nigeria’s Northwest region.

The initiative, known as the Education and Youth Empowerment in Northwest Nigeria (EYEPINN) project, targets Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto States.

It seeks to reduce the number of out-of-school children, improve teacher training, promote youth skills development, and strengthen education systems in the region.

To ensure effective coordination, a National Programme Steering Committee was inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja.

The committee is chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, as co-chair. It will meet annually to provide strategic guidance, while the EU Technical Assistance Team will serve as the secretariat.

Quarterly technical meetings will also be held to track progress.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, represented by Dr. Usman Ejeh, praised the EU’s continued investment in Nigeria’s education sector.

He described the EYEPINN project as a vital intervention to improve access, quality, and equity in basic education across the Northwest.

“The EU’s support through programmes like EYEPINN reflects a shared commitment to ensure every child, regardless of background, has access to quality education and opportunities to thrive,” Enitan said.

He emphasized the importance of accountability and collaboration among all stakeholders, adding: “Every Euro invested must translate into measurable impact—better learning outcomes, empowered teachers, safer schools, and a more resilient education system.”

The EU Delegation’s Team Leader for Human Development, Leila Ben Amor Mathieu, described EYEPINN as the EU’s first standalone education initiative in Nigeria.

She said the programme, implemented through UNICEF, Plan International, and DIME, focuses on basic and nomadic education, particularly targeting out-of-school children.

“This €40 million project is designed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education to meet the real needs of Nigerian children,” she said, noting that the EU has committed about €800 million to national programmes in Nigeria under its 2021–2027 plan.

UNICEF’s Chief of Education, Vanessa Lee, said the project aligns with ongoing reforms to improve foundational literacy and numeracy, integrate Quranic learning, and enhance teacher capacity.

Also speaking, Dr. Charles Usie, Country Director of Plan International, commended the EU’s investment, saying the initiative “brings hope to millions of children who might otherwise remain out of school.”

Save the Children’s Country Director, Duncan Harvey, echoed similar sentiments, stressing that “every child, regardless of gender, status, or location, deserves access to quality education.”

Nigeria’s Northwest currently faces one of the country’s most severe education crises, with insecurity, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure contributing to high rates of out-of-school children—estimated at over 20 million nationwide, with a large share from the region.