Sokoto State government has assured of its readiness to ensure the successful implementation of Adolescent Girls Initiative for learning and empowerment (AGILE) in the state.
The state commissioner for basic education, Mohammed Tukur Alkali, stated this on Tuesday in his remarks while declaring open a two day sensitisation programme for zonal quality assurance officers organised by AGILE.
The two day workshop was designed to educate School Based Management Committees (SMBC), in all junior and senior secondary schools in the state.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Executive Secretary, female education board in the ministry, Professor Mustapha Namaka Tukur, said the state government has really shown commitment to ensure the success of the programme in the state.
He said the state governor, Ahmed Aliyu, ensure the prompt payment of the state counterpart funding of the program, while assuring that his doors will always remain open to ensure the programme achieve its purpose.
“AGILE program has started and we can all see the indicators that we will see light at the end of the tunnel.
“They have train number of officers and I can attest to it that their impact is already been felt in some of our schools especially at various communities.
“The current SBMC training is to ensure the committee goes round to monitor the projects being implemented by AGILE and with this, we can all see the democratization of the programs and governance of education at this level which is being encourage by AGILE.
“The SBMC people are going to serve as the representative of the program and that of the government to ensure the programme is delivered themselves. This is what the training is all about and we hope at the end of the training, they would have develop the skills to work assiduously to ensure the programme is successful,” he said.
The commissioner however called on SBMC members to ensure they use the funds allocated to each programmes judiciously. He warned that whoever find culpable will be dealt with according to the rule of law.
Speaking earlier in his remarks, the project coordinator in the state, Dr Mansur Buhari, said AGILE decided to train in the SBMC members on their role and what is expected of them to ensure the success of the program.
“Especially in the programmes that we are about to start school renovation and construction, like I said many times, this project is targeted at the community, therefore whatever we do, the community has to be involved.
“The center of the communities as far as school is concerned are the SBMC. The quality assurance officers will be working together with the SBMC in their respective zones to ensure that schools renovated are renovated bases on the bill of quantity and based on the construction plan.
“In every step we take, we go along with the SBMC as the community leaders and owners of the school as far as the maintenance is concerned, so we want to ensure the sustainability.
“This training workshop is to carry them along, to show them their own responsibilities just like every other person on the project to ensure the success of the programme,” he stated.
Meanwhile, according to project engineer, Zayyanu Alkanchi, the programme is divided into two phases, which includes equipment of the schools with facilities such as provision of boreholes, solar lights, toilets among others to encourage more enrolment in the school.
He said no fewer than 240 schools has been earmarked to flag off the project this year , while ensuring that more schools will be added on board in the year 2025.
Also speaking, Garba Alhaji, company lead, Plot one projects, said the programme is targeting construction of 28 new blocks of classrooms in both junior secondary schools and Senior Secondary Schools this year.
He said the AGILE projects is proposing the construction of 56 new blocks of classrooms to be added to the existing ones in the state.
He said the project is also expected to build multipurpose hall, toilets, laboratories, solar powered boreholes among others.
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