Nigeria has entered into an agreement worth $6.4 million with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on self-benefiting funds-in-trust for the revitalisation of adult and youth literacy in the country.
Vice President Namadi Sambo disclosed this today at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving UNESCO Director General Ms. Irina Bokova.
The vice president affirmed that Nigeria had made commendable achievements during Bokova’s tenure by the MoU.
He said Nigeria and UNESCO has perfected deals on the establishment of the Regional Centre for Integrated River Basin Management (RE-IRBM) at the National Water Resources Institute in Kaduna and the International Centre for Biotechnology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; the election of Nigeria into UNESCO Executive Board and International Bureau of Education and the selection of Abuja as one of the five new UNESCO multi-sectoral regional offices in Africa had also been successful.
Sambo said most of the UNESCO programmes in Nigeria were in line with the incumbent administration’s transformation agenda in the power, education, tourism, aviation and transport sectors.
He assured that the government would continue to cooperate with the UNESCO through the Nigeria-UNESCO Special Plan of Cooperation which was established in 1999.
Speaking earlier, Bokova expressed happiness for being in Nigeria.
She noted that UNESCO programmes are to serve the dynamic community of Nigeria for its sustainable development, peace and betterment of the rights of citizens.
