GIST ME JOOR

In an apparent move to avoid future occurrence of abduction of school children, a coalition of Nigerian business leaders working with the United Nations (UN) special envoy for education, Gordon Brown, the Global Business Coalition for Education and A World at School yesterday at the World Economic Forum launched Safe Schools Initiative.

The Safe Schools Initiative which is also in partnership with government, media, civil societies, youths, parents and teachers is to set up a $10million fund to pilot 500 safe schools in Northern Nigeria following the kidnapping of more than 200 girls last month.

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister who is in Nigeria to attend the World Economic Forum, pledged the support of the international community to the Safe Schools Initiative, adding that he will seek additional resources from international partners and the government to scale up safe schools.

Accordingly, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education will meet with President Goodluck Jonathan this week to discuss a plan by the international community to partner with Nigeria for the largest school expansion in the country’s history to get out-of-school children into school.

A petition with over 400,000 signatures will be delivered later this week to President Jonathan showing international support for creating safe schools in Nigeria so that every child is able to go to school and learn.

Gordon Brown in a statement said the thoughts and prayers of the whole world are with Nigeria’s abducted girls and their parents as they face their fourth week in captivity.

“Three weeks ago, I asked for international support to rescue them. Thanks to John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and William Hague, the UK foreign secretary, with whom I have talked in the last 24 hours, the US and UK governments have agreed to send specialist teams to support efforts in Borno State to locate the kidnapped girls,” he said.

SOURCELeadership