Benue SUBEB Chairman joins National Steering Committee Meeting, presents state's success story

By Johnson Arua

The Executive Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Grace Adagba, participated in the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) National Project Steering Committee Meeting held in Abuja.

According to a statement by the Information Officer of Benue SUBEB, Emmanuella Akese, the meeting, organized by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with Save the Children International (SCI) the Grant Agent that secured funding from GPE brought together representatives from States benefiting from the GPE Refugee Response and Host Communities Support Grant, including Benue, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Taraba.

The grant supports education interventions targeted at refugees and host communities across the five beneficiary States.

Speaking at the session, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education,
Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan highlighted that the project, which began on 1st March 2024, was designed to run for 22 months.

To ensure its effective implementation, technical committees and National Project Steering Committees at both the State and National levels were inaugurated on 23rd May and 14th June 2024, respectively.

He noted that the project has recorded remarkable achievements so far. With implementation nearing completion, discussions are now focused on project handover, sustainability strategies, and transition planning for the States.

Dr. Adagba, invited as Benue SUBEB, and a key beneficiary of the grant aid, delivered a brief presentation capturing lessons learnt from the project execution, human impact stories from the field, and the sustainability measures being put in place to maintain the gains recorded. She also outlined the next steps Benue State intends to pursue to strengthen educational support for refugees and host communities.

The meeting provided an opportunity for States to share experiences, review progress, and chart a clear pathway for sustaining the positive outcomes of the GPE intervention beyond the project’s lifespan.