SENSE Project Steering Committee Inaugurated

On September 16, President Dekle inaugurated the steering committee of the USAID-SENSE project.

AUN is partnering with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the execution of the Strengthening Education in North-East Nigeria States (SENSE) project.

Members of the committee also include the permanent secretaries in charge of the education ministries in both states of the project execution –Gombe and Adamawa, Chairmen of the Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) in both states, legislators and traditional leaders from the two states. The District Head of Yola Metropolis represented the Lamido Adamawa at the ceremony.

Dr. Dekle told the members that they were doing groundbreaking work.

"I'm so excited about the work that you are going to do together as a team…This kind of project has never been done before. Not just in Nigeria, but ever …you are unfolding your trail into the future for rebuilding education and capacities in Northeast Nigeria."

She said they can accomplish much with the project.

"And you become the thought leaders for other countries trying to rebuild because it is not only Nigeria that needs to rebuild and develop."

She also added that it was important that they pay critical attention to the information from the field so that they can ‘steer' accordingly.

Director of the Project, Audu Liman, gave an overview of the project, explaining that it is a three-year project that targets 200,000 learners in Gombe and Adamawa states. In helping to change the performance of the children, the plan is to work with the Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in the two states.

"We made an offer to USAID that we are going to make a change. For us to make this change, we will work through the system and will be supporting education managers to use performance and observation data to monitor schools."

After the inauguration, the members started work. They went through the terms of reference as well as their roles and responsibility. Observations were made and they gave their feedback.