ECHO Renovates Classrooms, Distributes Learning Materials to Boost Education in Boko Haram-Affected Yobe Communities
By Baba Dan’iya
The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has renovated classrooms and distributed learning materials to pupils in Katarko, Gujba Local Government Area, to enhance education in Boko Haram-affected communities.
Mr. Iliya Joseph, Programme Manager of the ECHO Education Response Project in Northeast Nigeria, said the initiative aimed to bridge learning gaps created by years of insurgency that disrupted schooling and destroyed infrastructure.
He said Katarko was one of five communities implementing the project, adding that the intervention had provided classroom renovations, learning kits, and furniture to improve access to quality education.
“In Gujba, we have renovated 15 classrooms, provided 225 three-seater desks, 15 teachers’ tables, and distributed 3,040 learners’ kits,” Joseph said. “We are also implementing a non-formal education system with 993 learners enrolled in the second cohort.”
He said 1,250 children had earlier graduated from the first phase and were mainstreamed into formal schools within the local government.
According to Joseph, the project, which started on May 1, 2024, and will end in April 2026, is designed to rebuild education in conflict-affected areas and restore hope to children whose schooling was interrupted by insurgency.
Ali Jajeje, Education Secretary, Gujba Local Education Authority, commended ECHO for complementing government efforts to revive education in the area.
“We are very happy with this support. ECHO and its partners have renovated classrooms, supplied furniture, and distributed learning materials to schools across five communities in Gujba,” Jajeje said.
He said the authority had put measures in place to ensure sustainability through constant supervision, active School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), and community watchmen for maintenance.
Muhammed Gana, Chairman of the Yobe State SBMC, expressed gratitude to ECHO and its implementing partners for supporting education recovery in the state.
He appealed to the organisation and other donors to extend similar interventions to more communities affected by the insurgency.
“These projects are giving our children a chance to learn again and bringing hope back to our communities,” Gana said. “We urge development partners to continue complementing government efforts in education.”
