Bilingual Education Project is an initiative strategy with the view of map up the Almajiri from the street and integrate them into the main stream of Education system which will equip them with the ability to speak, write, interpret English and Arabic languages fluently.
The Islamic Development Bank( IsDB) approved a Financial Facility Programme for the promotion of Bilingual Education in Nigeria in the sum of $98 million.
The objectives of the project are to : contribute to the Improvement of socio – economic conditions of Nigerians; ensure inclusive education and promote Bilingual Education in the 9 benefitting states of Nasarawa, Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Niger and Osun where 30 Bilingual Education boarding schools will be constructed.
This will help to boost enrolment and reduce the Out-of- School Children (OOSC) syndrome, as well as expose learners to the knowledge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The major components of the project, which is Coordinated by Universal Basic Education Commission ( UBEC), are access to Basic Education, Improvement of quality and enhancement of Management capacity of school administrators.
Another important feature of the project is the Awqaf and Istisnaa real estate business incorporated to provide sustainable income for the Programme.
Accordingly, a critical stakeholder meeting was organised at the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board Headquarters Lafia,to brief the Hon. Commissioners, SUBEB Chairman, Desk Officers Bilingual and Project Manager unit on the level of the project implementation in Nasarawa State.
They were also informed that the project is a loan that must be repaid hence, the need to ensure its effective implementation and prudent Management. The critical stakeholders, however, expressed their readiness to take ownership of the project after completion.
Nasarawa State Bilingual Education schools are comprehensive boarding schools situated at the three Senatorial Zones of the state. Nasarawa north ( Wamba) Nasarawa south( Lafia) while Nasarawa West ( Nasarawa).
The school contains standard boarding facilities such as ; Administrative building, Male and Female Academic block, on the ground floor : 4 standard classrooms and 7 small classrooms while the first floor : 8 standard classrooms, Male and Female hostels building expected rows per school 8, canteen, Mosque, Staff Quarters, sport provision, pedestrian walkway , vehicular ways, Borehole with overhead tank, Gate house and perimeter fence.
The meeting was chaired by Hon Commissioner, Ministry of Finance, Hajia Manira Abdullahi at the meeting included Almajiri coordinator, Director Physical Planning, Director Planning, Research and Statistics and legal adviser CQRN, Lafia.
