Mr Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), says the FCT Administration (FCTA) has committed 1.05 billion dollars, amounting to about ₦177 billion for infrastructural development in the educational sector.
Wike, represented by the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, disclosed this at the 6th International Conference on Learning Cities, held in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A statement by Mr Austine Elemue, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of State, FCT, in Abuja on Wednesday, added that the amount included the ₦3.5 billion counterpart funding from Universal Basic Education Commission.
It stressed that the FCTA’s annual budget for the educational sector has surpassed the 26 per cent UNESCO benchmark.
It said that so far, a total of 21 primary and junior secondary schools have been renovated, while 30 new senior secondary schools were established.
The statement added that FCTA has also invested heavily in the training and retraining of teachers and providing infrastructure in basic schools across the six area councils of the FCT.
On tertiary education, the statement said that the FCT Administration has committed ₦14.53 billion for the completion of FCT University, Abaji.
It quoted the minister, affirming the FCT Administration’s commitment to the Abuja Learning City status as emphasised by UNESCO.
The statement further explained that the Abuja learning city has adopted a whole school approach in promoting peace, security, and tolerance, through knowledge and skills.
The 6th International Conference on Learning Cities focuses on strategies to promote climate action through lifelong learning.
The conference with the theme, “Learning Cities at the Forefront of Climate Action,” brought together representatives from UNESCO learning cities, policymakers, educators, researchers, and other stakeholders across the globe.
(NAN)
