Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani on Tuesday witnessed the signing of a $62.8 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government-represented by the Ministry of Finance, and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) for the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project in Kaduna State.
The ROOS is a strategic four-year initiative launched in April 2024 by the Kaduna State Government, in partnership with Save the Children, UNICEF, and other international partners such as the Islamic Development Bank and Global Partnership for Education.
NewsQuest reports that a major objective of the project is to reintegrate over 200,000 out-of-school children—including those with disabilities (PWDs), girls, and adolescents—into quality primary education across all 23 local government areas of the state within four years.
Governor Sani on his official Facebook page wrote “I had the honour of witnessing the signing of a $62.8 million Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government of Nigeria—through the Ministry of Finance—and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) for the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project in Kaduna State.”
According to him, “This historic agreement marks Kuwait Fund’s first intervention in Nigeria and represents a significant step forward in our efforts to expand access to education.
Governor Sani explained that “Honourable Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, signed on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Finance, while H.E. Dr. Waleed Al-Bahar, the Director General, signed on behalf of the Kuwait Fund.”
He said that since May 29, 2023, his administration has made education a cornerstone of development. In 2024, we allocated 25 percent of Kaduna State’s budget to education, rising to 26.14% in 2025.
“We have built 60 new secondary schools, constructed 700 classrooms, renovated over 1,049 classrooms, reduced tuition in state-owned tertiary institutions by 50 percent, and established three modern vocational institutes aligned with the Federal Government’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) agenda.
“With over 18 million children still out of school in Nigeria, the ROOSC project provides a timely, community-driven response aligned with SDG 4. Developed with local and international partners, it seeks to eliminate barriers to education and reintegrate marginalized children into the formal system.
“Kaduna State has met 100 percent of its counterpart funding obligation. The project will deliver 102 climate-resilient schools and rehabilitate 170 learning centres across all 23 LGAs, focusing on school safety, inclusive learning environments, and the reintegration of girls, children with disabilities, and internally displaced children.
“We thank our esteemed partners who have made this initiative possible, namely; the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Islamic Development Bank, Global Partnership for Education, Education Above All Foundation, Save the Children International, and UNICEF.
“I also thank the Hon. Minister of Finance, the Hon. Minister of State for Finance, and the Hon. Minister of Education—for their support. Kaduna remains fully committed to transparent, accountable implementation as we work to ensure quality education for every child,” Governor Sani said.
