‘AGILE projects will enhance girls’ education in Nigeria’

As part of effort to encourage and enhance the girl child education in Nigeria, the Federal government through AGILE has set in motion plans to make every adolescent girl child get adequate education.

Adamawa state coordinator of Adolescent Girl Initiative Learning Empowerment (AGILE), Dr. Saddiki Liman said AGILE is poised to transform the educational landscape for adolescent girls in Nigeria as part of efforts to address the longstanding challenges of poverty and lack of access to education, which has been the clog in the progress of girls’ education in the country.

Adamawa state AGILE project coordinator, Saddiki Liman, who disclosed this today at a one-day stakeholders meeting in Yola, said the project has earmarked 32 junior and senior secondary schools for construction across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

According to him “this infrastructure development is expected to provide additional learning facilities and create a conducive environment for academic excellence”.

While additional development in AGILE program will also focus on renovations and school improvement grants.

Stating that a total of 1070 public schools in the state have been assessed, and school improvement grants will be disbursed to support renovations and upgrades.

“These grants are categorized into three tiers, with schools receiving between $15,000 to $150,000, depending on their enrollment numbers”.

“The project also prioritizes digital skills training and non-formal education”

So far, seventy non-formal centers have been selected for renovation, and participants will receive training on various skills to enhance their employability.

Mr Liman noted that the key component of the project is the targeting of adolescent girls who have missed out on education due to poverty, cultural backgrounds, or early marriages.

Adding that the project aims to enroll 54,000 girls back into school, with a focus on those transitioning from primary to junior secondary school and from junior to senior secondary school.

Schools are required to submit their admission registers to the Ministry, and a minimum attendance rate of 70% must be maintained to access funds.