The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has approved the establishment of an Education Endowment Fund (EEF) and is pencilled to gulp up to N6 billion to revitalise and resuscitate the education and the human capital in the region that was left in shamble by the insurgent group after a decade of onslaught.
Mallam Abba Musa, the head of Corporate Services of the NEDC made this known on Friday, saying the EEF was the outcome of the Board meeting held at the commission office in Abuja.
Mr. Musa added, since the coming of the commission on board after its Enactment in 2017 by the Buhari administration, the commission has remained resolute in putting a meaningful development that are human-oriented projects to address the human challenges that has being putting much pressure on the dwellers of the region that were displaced by the activities of the insurgents.
He revealed the fund will pave an avenue for the engagement of over 20,000 beneficiaries annually across the region in restoring hope in education and professional pursuit of meaningful development in any field of human endeavour. The target is to reach 150,000 individuals over a span of five years, Musa added.
He noted that not until the hostility in the region is brought to the barest minimum, any meaningful development will be meaningless.
He further explained that apart from the Military action, a number of targeted interventions can go a long way in cushioning the effect and pains inflicted by the conflicts and thereby bringing a permanent peace to the people, saying the commission is working tirelessly to ensure that non-kinetics possibilities for a start are provided so that the lost hope shall be once rekindle.
In his explanation, he disclosed the commission is set to roll out Rapid Response Intervention Programs to fast track the challenge of damaged infrastructures and other facilities in the 112 LGAs across the region through rehabilitation and construction. Subsequently, each LGA is set to benefit at least two projects per LGA during the first quarter of the year 2020 ranging from Hospital, school, and agriculture.
While enumerating the commission’s intervention in ICT and environment through tree planting, Musa said the commission’s Board did not leave funding to stockpile food and non-food items to cater for internally displaced persons (IDPs) housed in camps and in host communities as well as for returnees in places that have been recovered and secured.
