Germany supports 1,500 Nigerian students under safe-school initiative – Envoy

The German Government says it has so far supported 1,500 students affected by insurgency in the north east under the safe-school initiative since it was set up in 2014.
Zenner, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the initiative was multilateral.
He said it was created to provide basic education services to young students affected by insurgency in the north east.

“We are part of the safe school initiative where we have young pupils and students who cannot go back to their schools because they have been destroyed, go to school elsewhere in Nigeria.

“We have financed, within the framework of the initiative, 1,500 young students and we are now negotiating with the Nigerian Government on extending our efforts in this programme,” he said.

The envoy said the German government was also assisting in the provision of humanitarian needs for people affected by the insurgency in the North East.

He also expressed the readiness of his government to assist Nigeria in the rehabilitation of the North East.

He said, “We try to help cover humanitarian needs for internally displaced persons.

“We have some projects to help traumatised women and children; we have some projects together with UNHCR for covering basic needs.

“We are ready to assist in the North East if peace and security is secured; we can assist in the rehabilitation, that means construction of hospitals, schools and what is needful.”

The Federal Government in collaboration with the UN Special Envoy for Global Education and a coalition of Nigerian business leaders established “The Safe Schools Initiative” on May 7, 2014.

The objective of the initiative is to urgently protect hundreds of schools across the country, starting with schools in North Eastern Nigeria from future attacks and kidnaps.