By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
No fewer than 20 million adolescent girls across 18 states reached out by the Adolescence Girls Initiative for Learning and Education (AGILE ) project have benefitted from its education and empowerment programmes in the last one year.
Similarly , the project said it has so far reached out to over 1.6 million across 7 initial implementing states comprising Katsina, Ekiti, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Nassarawa and Borno
AGILE is a federal government project supported by the World Bank which focuses more on northern Nigeria to encourage, positively reposition and change the statistics narratives of girls towards their education and future.
The project Coordinator in Sokoto state, Dr. Mansur Isah Buhari disclosed on Wednesday at its one day maiden bi-annual media round table tagged ” Implementing to Complement “.
” We have given 199,921 scholarships, renovated 6,914 schools, provided 6,704 WASH facilities and over 6000 girls have learnt skills and digital literacy.
” In Sokoto we have renovated 367 Junior and Senior Secondary schools and constructed 56. All these were carried out across the 23 LGs”, he explained while disclosing that by the end of 2024 no fewer than 54 girls would have benefitted from the project scholarship programme
” In Sokoto we have renovated 367 Junior and Senior Secondary schools and constructed 56. All these were carried out across the 23 LGs”, he explained while disclosing that by the end of 2024 no fewer than 54,200 girls would have benefitted from the project scholarship programme..
He said that media involvement in driving the objective of the project was essential and key to realising the desired success in the process of implementing it’s template.
According to Buhari who noted that the media was a dependable tool and instrument that would help AGILE counter the general misconceptions and negative perceptions of the activities of the project particularly in the north .
” The media is a positive mobiliser which can impact on our communities and contribute to AGILE advocacy approach to commit the girl child and parents to accepting the project with open mind.
” We are providing the window for the girl child to have life skills inorder to support selves , parents and husband’s through empowerment”, he said.
The Coordinator expressed concerns as he disclosed that 60% of out of school were adolescent girls who were the primary target to ensure they use the opportunity to access education and other empowerment windows.
According to him” we want religiously go by the various components driving the objectives of the project aimed at strengthening all platforms through responsive approach that will involve all stakeholders including religious and community leaders ,relevant line Ministries, Departments and agencies as well CBOs among other players.