The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in Kano has organized an engagement meeting with Ulama and Juma’at Mosque Imams aimed at strengthening collaboration with religious leaders to promote community support for girls’ education across the state.
The meeting, held as part of AGILE’s stakeholder engagement strategy, seeks to enhance access, retention, and completion of girls’ education by aligning project activities with local values and beliefs.
In his remarks, the Kano State AGILE Project Coordinator, Malam Mujtapha Aminu, explained that the gathering was convened to clarify misconceptions surrounding the project and to ensure better understanding among faith-based leaders.
According to him, “The involvement of Ulama and Juma’at Mosque Imams is crucial because they play a significant role in shaping public opinion. We invited them to enlighten them on the objectives, components, and interventions under the AGILE project.”
Malam Mujtapha further disclosed that the project has actively engaged traditional and religious leaders in reviewing its training manual to ensure it aligns with Islamic teachings and cultural values.
He appealed to all stakeholders to support the project and seek clarification on any issues that may arise to prevent misconceptions. “Ulamas are major catalysts in advancing girls’ education in Kano and Nigeria at large,”.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, represented by the Council’s Secretary, Sheikh Ibrahim Abubakar Tofa, urged the AGILE team to ensure all project components are consistent with Islamic and cultural principles, noting that Kano is a unique society with deeply rooted traditions.
“As key stakeholders, we have a vital role to play in supporting girls’ education because Islam encourages the pursuit of knowledge for both genders,” .
He also called on the project coordinators to engage all relevant stakeholders to prevent misinformation and foster transparency in implementation.
The engagement featured detailed presentations on AGILE’s three components, interactive discussions, and a question-and-answer session during which religious leaders raised and received clarifications on grey areas related to the project’s implementation.
COV/Khadijah Aliyu
