The Kaduna State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the World Bank to ensure the success of the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, made this known during a visit by the World Bank’s Regional Vice President to Government Girls Secondary School, Kawo, Kaduna.
Professor Bello said the state government remained committed to providing adolescent girls with quality education and empowering them to become productive members of their families and communities.
He expressed deep appreciation for the World Bank’s intervention, describing the AGILE project as transformative in changing societal attitudes towards girls’ education.
“Words are too few to express how we feel about the intervention by the World Bank, especially concerning the AGILE project. The project team in the state, led by Maryam Sani Dangaji, has worked tirelessly to educate and prepare the minds of parents, emphasizing that AGILE is about helping the girl child realize her full potential,” he said.
Professor Bello further disclosed that the state government had launched another initiative titled “Reaching Out to Out-of-School Children” aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school children across the state.
He added that the government had earmarked sixteen million dollars to build schools within every one-kilometer radius in rural areas to boost school enrollment.
In his remarks, the World Bank Regional Vice President, Ousmane Diagana, commended the Kaduna State Government for its dedication to the success of the AGILE project.
Diagana emphasized the broad societal benefits of educating girls, urging all stakeholders to remain committed despite challenges.
“If a girl learns, society as a whole benefits,” he said, stressing the need to ensure no barrier prevents adolescent girls from achieving their goals.
The AGILE project, supported by the World Bank, has so far renovated 665 schools, trained teachers, and exposed girls to climate change awareness and action programs.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria Kaduna, Trina Haque, the Regional Director for West and East African Countries overseeing Education, Health, Social Protection, and Gender, said the World Bank remains committed to ensuring all adolescent girls receive quality education under the AGILE project.
She noted that the Bank continues to work closely with state governors and commissioners of education to achieve the project’s goals.
Also speaking, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the project, Yabai Ayis, highlighted AGILE’s achievements over the past four years.
“AGILE has renovated 550 schools and rehabilitated an additional 115 schools, making a total of 665 schools that have benefited from various levels of improvement. Additionally, teacher training has been provided to enhance learning across public schools in Kaduna State,” Ayis said.
One of the project beneficiaries, Success Eliminian, praised AGILE for promoting social change and advancing girls’ education.
“The AGILE project is driving a change in social and cultural norms. It has given us the right mindset that education is for everyone, especially girls,” she said.
The success stories emerging from the project underscore the power of collaboration and investment in girls’ education.
Cov/Khadijah Abdullahi Kubau
