FG commits fresh $700 million to World Bank-assisted adolescent girls’ education

THE Federal Government is to commit additional 700 million dollars to boost the World Bank’s 500 million dollars funding for Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in Nigeria.

This would raise the tally of the funding 1.2 billion dollars to be implemented in 11 states.

Communications Officer of AGILE, Linda Irabor, who made this known on Sunday in Abuja, said this was part of concerted efforts at improving senior secondary education and empowerment opportunities for adolescent girls in the country.

She disclosed that 11 state governments had indicated interest to participate in the AGILE project, a World Bank-assisted project of the Federal Government, stressing that the new funding level made the project one of the biggest World Bank-sponsored, gender-focused projects in West Africa.

Irabor in the statement quoted the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to have expressed delight at the additional funding of the project.

Adamu said that the funding was motivated by the successes recorded in the current implementing states, especially in the utilisation of the School Improvement Grants, and Conditional Cash Transfer Scholarships.

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The minister urged more states showing interest in the project to put the necessary measures in place to qualify to participate, Irabor stated.

At an earlier outing, the AGILE Task Team Lead, Hajia Aisha Garba, presented an overview of the project and enlightened states on the requirements to participate in the project.

Irabor stated that Garba emphasised the need for interested states to evolve more enabling policies for senior secondary education in their respective territories.

In her presentation, the National Project Coordinator of AGILE, Mrs Amina Haruna, also urged the states to put all the necessary measures in place to meet the criteria to participate and benefit from the AGILE project.

Haruna said that it would also serve as an opportunity for the states to improve upon the lives of adolescent girls in their localities.

Irabor stated that Yobe Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Muhammad Idris, bemoaned the lack of adequate advocacy on girl-child education in the northern parts of the country.

While pledging the commitment of Yobe to put the necessary measures in place to qualify to participate in the AGILE project, Idris called for increased enlightenment on girl-child education in the region.