AGILE, World Bank to sponsors 16,260 Bauchi adolescent girls back to schools 

From Mohammed Nasir Shuaibu BAUCHI

Bauchi State Commissioner for Education, Dr Jamila Muhammad Dahiru has said that the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in collaboration with the World Bank projects would sponsors 16,260 adolescents girls to further their educations upto graduation level in the state.

Besides that each of the girls in JSS 1-3 will be given the sum of N5,000 while those in SS 1-3 will receive the sum of N10,000 every term in order to encourage them to always return to school until graduation.

The disclosure was made by the Bauchi State Project Coordinator of AGILE, who doubles as State Commissioner of Education Dr Jamila Dahiru during a breakfast meeting with Media Executives over the weekend in Bauchi,

According to her, said the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project is a World Bank Assisted project of the Federal Ministry of Education designed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between of 10 to 20 years.

Dr Dahiru explained that the 16,260 girls in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in the state would be given out conditional cash transfers to encourage them to attend classes and graduate under the (AGILE) project.

She further revealed that there will be a digital education programme in order to empower them with a skill which will be useful to them in the future, adding that the project is to assist students who have dropped out of school due to economic issues to have the chance to go back to school and complete the second stage of education.

The Commissioner explained  that the target is the poorest of the poor who do not have any means of payment of school fees and other requirements, adding that mechanism has been put in place to determine those that will qualify.

“Apart from boosting enrollment of the girl child in school, the AGILE project will ensure that the standard and quality of education do not decline but rather improve greatly as teachers will be motivated and well equipped to impart knowledge on the students.

She noted that the set objective will be achieved under component one of the project which is “Safe and Accessible Learning (SOACES) comprising new space learning in secondary schools, improving existing infrastructure, teachers recruitment and employment for new schools.

“The second component which is ‘fostering enabling environment for girls’ under which promoting behavioural change through communication campaigns, engagement with traditional rulers and advocacy, providing girls with critical life skills and knowledge for navigating adulthood and digital literacy at all learning platforms as well as providing financial support to poor households under the conditional cash transfer,” She said

She added, “The third component of the project is ‘system strengthening and project management’ which is where the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) team must be very active including the technical and community through the School Base Management Committees (SBMCs) for the implementation of the project. There is also the system for sustainability and national strategy for girls as well as providing data for EMIS and other things that will make the project successful in the state.”