The Non-governmental Association for Literacy Support Service (NOGALSS) is seeking the support of the Federal Ministry of Education for girls and women education.

The support is in respect of the visibility of its Second Chance Education Projects which target mainstreaming of 10,000 girls and women into formal education.

The President, NOGALSS, Mr Noah Emmanuel, disclosed this during an advocacy visit to Mr David Adejo, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja on Thursday.

He said that NOGALSS in collaboration with UNESCO had embarked on the initiative, which is in partnership between the European Union and the United Nations, focusing on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.

According to him, the project is aimed at providing accelerated second chance education and livelihood skills for out-of-school girls and young women facing marginalisation in the country.

Non-governmental Association of Literacy Support Service (NOGALSS), led by its National President, Mr Noah Emmanuel on an advocacy visit to the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja on Thursday.

“As a major stakeholder in education, we have come to intimate you of this laudable project and to seek your support in the following areas:

” We appeal that a focal person from the adult education branch be appointed as the representative of the ministry who will be reporting on the progress to the ministry.

“We also appeal to support in the monitoring and evaluation of the project.

” We want you to support the visibility of the second chance education education as a means to ending violence against women and girls.

“Thereby bringing about positive changes in the norms, attitude and behaviours where all women and girls live a life free from all forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV),” he said.

Emmanuel commended the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, for the role played in allowing the operation of literacy centres in the unity schools.

He also called for mandating of all NGOs into adult and non-formal education delivery to register with NOGALSS for proper coordination, monitoring, evaluation and collation of data for policy implementation.

” For inclusiveness, we appeal that you direct special schools with facilities for people living with disability to implement non-formal education services.

” This is because in our project, 50 per cent of beneficiaries are people living with disabilities.

” NOGALSS shall utilise the effort of the media to condemn this tragic violence against women and girls to achieve the second chance education.

” This will expose all the ills melted against women and girls and serve as a voice to the voiceless,” he added.

Responding, Mr Adejo, promised to look into the demands of the association and partner with them to move education forward.

Represented by Mr Adeleye Adeoye, the Director, Education Planning, Research and Development of the Ministry, Adejo said the partnership would yield national goal of achieving SDG4.

He added that the Federal Government was putting measures in place to educate as many Nigerians as possible.

According to him, this informed the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) which addressed education holistically covering all the 10 pillars of education.

” I am particularly happy that all along you have not rest on your oars and that make it clear that the Education for All (EFA) is the responsibility of all.

” And of course government alone cannot handle education without the support of people like you who out of passion for education form NGOs to come into groups to give back to the system in one way or the other.

” As we all know that education is a social service and particularly people who have passion for education are not in there for the purpose of any gain but are just making a lot of sacrifice to make sure we have a better future.

” This is because all we are doing now is to prepare the next generation, ” he said. (NAN)