March 13, (THEWILL) – About 74,452 schoolgirls have so far benefitted from the financial assistance under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE).
AGILE is a programme initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and supported by the World Bank.
AGILE is also implemented in 18 states of the federation, including Kano State.
Malam Mujtapha Aminu, the AGILE Project Coordinator in Kano State, disclosed this at a meeting between Civil Society Organisations and the media held in Kano on Thursday.
Aminu said the beneficiaries were drawn from the 19 Local Government Areas of the state.
According to him, the beneficiaries are in the first and second cohorts, adding that an additional 39,000 girls have been registered in the 3rd cohort.
Giving the breakdown of the beneficiaries during his presentation, Aminu disclosed that 28,602 and 45,850 girls had benefited in the first and second cohorts, respectively.
The coordinator added that 39,000 girls had been registered as beneficiaries of the third cohort.
He said that since its inception, AGILE has been committed to providing second chances for out-of-school girls and dropouts who cannot study in conventional schools.
“5100 out of school girls from 13 LGAs registered to be enrolled into adult education centers for second chance education. Registration to continue across the other LGAs.
“AGILE provides facilities to 100 schools, which include solar facilities, Computers, Internet, Projector Screens, Tables and Chairs. This programme has trained 220 teachers on remote learning, which includes Content Development in their subject areas, and students can access them online.
“1,226 Secondary Schools received small grants for Minor Repairs, Provision of WASH Facilities, as well as Teaching and Learning Materials. This is in addition to Large Grants (LG) for 120 Girls’ Secondary Schools to make major repairs and Special Grant for 10 selected Girls Secondary Schools across the state”, he explained.
Speaking on the roles of NGOs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in supporting AGILE project in Kano, Dr Auwalu Halilu, Co-chair, Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE), said NGOs had been among the strongest advocates for implementation of the outcomes of the series of UN world conferences on women which began with the International Women’s Year Conference held in Mexico City in 1975.
According to him, in Nigeria, a number of NGOs and CBOs are actively working to improve adolescent health and promote girls’ education through creating awareness and sensitisation.
“They focus on addressing critical issues like access to healthcare, empowerment through education, and the eradication of harmful practices.
“Their efforts are vital in creating opportunities for young girls to thrive, ensuring that they receive the education and healthcare they deserve”, Halilu added.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
