Report by AMINU DALHATU; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in Zamfara State has announced that the rehabilitation of 174 existing schools has reached 90% completion.
This is part of the broader plan to renovate 441 schools across the state under the project.
The Deputy Coordinator of AGILE in Zamfara, Dr. Salisu Dalhatu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Gusau, the state capital.
He explained that the primary goal of the AGILE project in Zamfara State is to address barriers preventing girls from accessing, remaining in, and completing secondary education.
According to Dr Dalhatu, the initiative is aimed at providing opportunities for adolescent girls aged 10 to 20 to complete formal secondary education, enroll in school through outreach campaigns targeting out-of-school girls, or acquire skills for self-reliance.
Dr. Dalhatu highlighted that the installation of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, as well as the distribution of essential teaching and learning materials, has been completed in the 174 schools.
Additionally, financial incentives are being provided to support poor and vulnerable households.
He further revealed that, the disbursement of school improvement grants has commenced.
“As I speak with you, we have completed 80 to 90 percent of the renovation of existing infrastructure in 174 schools,” Dr. Dalhatu stated.
The AGILE project has also commissioned a consultancy to identify target beneficiaries among poor and vulnerable households.
According to Dr. Dalhatu, the project initially mapped out approximately 16,700 potential beneficiaries, but after a rigorous validation exercise, 9,172 individuals were confirmed as the first batch of recipients for the Conditional Cash Transfer program, aimed at alleviating the financial burden of schooling and removing barriers to girls’ education.
The Deputy Coordinator further noted that the first cohort of beneficiaries for the Second Chance Education Initiative are 2,250 individuals selected from all 14 local government areas of the state.
“We have trained 75 facilitators on second-chance education in the state. These facilitators are carefully selected from across the 14 local government areas, will train the 2,250 individuals in various skills.”
He emphasized that additional batches will be included as the project progresses, with training set to commence soon.
Regarding implementation, Dr. Dalhatu confirmed that AGILE is adhering to its work plan, which began in July last year.
Additionally, the project has engaged a consultant to develop a Digital Literacy Manual to create a standardized digital literacy curriculum for secondary school students in Zamfara.
The AGILE project remains committed to improving educational access and opportunities for adolescent girls in Zamfara, ensuring a brighter future through education and skill acquisition.
