Project end: Adamawa vows to sustain tempo as GPE records landmark success
As the Global Partnership for Education Accelerated Funding (GPE-AF) project rounds off in Adamawa this month, the state government has pledged to sustain the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), which has made significant strides in reducing the number of out-of-school children.
The GPE funded project was supported by Adamawa State government in collaboration with UNICEF.
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Commissioner for Education and Human Services, Garba Umar Pella, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Muhammad Umar, gave the assurance during a media round table with critical stakeholders.
He praised the initiative for creating opportunities for children who had either dropped out of school or have never enrolled before by giving them ample opportunities to acquire both formal and non-formal education.
Pella emphasized that the administration of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri remains committed to strengthening education as the foundation of development.
He pledged to sustain all the ABEP learning centres established under the programme across Gombi, Lamurde, and Madagali and will ensure more of such centers are floated across the state.
He added that complementary initiatives such as Tsangaya integration and Early Childhood Education (ECE) would also help sustain the momentum, noting that funding would not be a barrier since the programme has been factored into the Ministry’s budgetary provisions.
Presenting an overview of results achieved, Godwin Kure Lucky, UNICEF focal person at the Ministry of Education, described the programme as an overwhelming success. He revealed that while the state initially targeted 7,200 learners at the onset, enrollment rose to over 12,000 children across the three pilot LGAs far surpassing expectations.
Lucky attributed this achievement to robust back-to-school campaigns spearheaded by the Ministry and its implementing partners, with strong support from traditional and religious leaders. He explained that the campaigns not only boosted enrollment but also restored community confidence in public education. In total, 48 schools directly benefitted from the GPE-AF intervention in Adamawa.
He further highlighted efforts to address gender-related barriers to education, noting the distribution of menstrual hygiene kits to 2,250 adolescent girls across the three participating councils. According to him, this helped improve retention and participation of girls in school, an often-overlooked challenge in education delivery.
Despite the successes, Lucky acknowledged that the programme faced notable obstacles. One recurring issue was the expectation of financial incentives by community members before enrolling their children, which slowed early participation. Limited monitoring capacity at local and state levels also hampered effective oversight of activities. In addition, natural disasters such as flooding disrupted learning in some communities, threatening gains made.
Looking ahead, Lucky recommended that the state develop a clear strategy for community ownership to ensure long-term sustainability.
Strengthening supply chain systems for timely procurement and distribution of learning kits was also identified as critical. He urged the government to institutionalize ABEP within the mainstream education framework, ensuring it receives regular budgetary and administrative support.
Abdulrahman Ado, Education Specialist at UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, placed Adamawa’s efforts within a broader regional context.
He explained that the GPE-AF project, running since mid-2024 in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, aims to provide access to safe, inclusive, and crisis-responsive education for children aged 5–14. He stressed that while the programme officially ends in Adamawa on September 30, 2025, there will be no extension, urging the state to consolidate its gains and ensure continuity.
