July 05, (THEWILL) – The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) is set to embark on the renovation and construction of junior and senior secondary schools across Sokoto State.
The State Project Coordinator, Mansur Isa Buhari, PhD, disclosed this at a media dialogue held with journalists and social media practitioners.
Buhari, while presenting an overview of the AGILE project, highlighted that 260 junior secondary schools have been earmarked for renovation while twenty-eight new ones are to be constructed.
He also said that a total of 107 senior secondary schools are projected to be renovated while twenty-eight new ones are to be constructed.
While speaking on the project’s scorecard since it was introduced in Nigeria, Buhari said the project has created safe and accessible learning spaces across the implementing states.
He also said the project has empowered girls with critical life skills and knowledge to navigate adulthood successfully.
Buhari, however, addressed the concerns and misconceptions about the programme’s objectives, adding that the AGILE project in the state is not intended to westernise the girl child, as some have stereotyped it.
He stressed that AGILE operates independently of the school curriculum, aiming to make a positive impact on the lives of girls in the Northern part of the country.
“AGILE programme is designed to provide targeted infrastructure development, support to schools attended by adolescent girls and enhancing their learning environments without influencing or altering the school’s curriculum in any way,” he said.
On the project’s prospects in the state, the Coordinator said AGILE is set to provide financial incentives and digital skills training to more than 52,400 adolescent girls in the State.
He, however, commended the State Government for keying into the project supported by the World Bank, saying it would go a long way in transforming Girl-child education in Sokoto State.
Earlier, the programme Communication Officer, Hajiya Rabi Gwadabawa, said the meeting was convened to partner with media practitioners in driving the project vision and objectives.
Gwadabawa added that the AGILE programme was designed to address this gap, promoting overall well-being and empowerment for young girls in the region.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Muhammad Tukur Alkali, said the State Government earmarked N150 million as a counterpart fund and N50 million for the takeoff of the programme.
The Commissioner, who was represented by Director, Education Resource Center, Malam Bashir Ibrahim, pointed to the importance of media in shaping activities, especially those that have relevance to the socio-economic styles of the vast population.
About the Author
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
