By Nyahama Japhet
Girl Child Education in Adamawa State is about to receive a major boost with the launch of World Bank project known as Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment (AGILE)
The Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment (AGILE) project is a World Bank supported Project in collaboration with Adamawa State Government designed to improve secondary education opportunities among girls in targeted areas in participating states.
The project team have recently engaged in a familiarization tour across Emirates and Chiefdom across the state to seek Royal blessings and masses support as the team makes final preparation for the official takeoff of the project across 21 LGAs of the state.
The Adamawa State Government through its Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development is implementing the project having settled 50 percent of its counterpart funds worth one hundred million Naira.
While stating AGILE mission to the Royal fathers palaces, the Adamawa State Monitoring And Evaluation Officer of the project Mr. Bathon Hyelda Ati, revealed that the project is a five year World Bank assisted project which seeks to among other things turn around education of the girl child across the state using three major components.
He revealed that the component one of the project seeks to create safe and accessible learning spaces. The second component is designed to foster an enabling environment for girls while component three of the project takes into account project management and system strengthening.
According to Mr. Ati, UNICEF data released in the year 2024 indicated a staggering number of out of school children in Nigeria amounting to about 18.4 million, out of which he said 48 percent are girls domicile in the Northeastern Nigeria.
He lamented that the number is way too much to overlooked which informed World Bank decision to release quantum of money worth about $85 million to build new schools, renovate and equipped the existing ones in order to support the education of the girl child in the state and by extension the Northeast region.
He revealed that funding of the project is categories into large and small grant, noting that about 100 schools are selected for the pilot project across the state.
He explained that the Governor and the World Bank have advised that the project be executed in phases saying that 32 new schools are selected for the first phase, afterwards other construction and renovation will continue for the period of five years allotted for the programme.
He said that the counterpart funding of the project for Adamawa State Government is worth N100,000,000, out of which 50 percent of the said amount has already been paid by the Adamawa State Government.
He said that thankfully, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has approved for the construction of 21 model schools among several others saying that AGILE is here in the state to consolidate on the existing efforts put in place by the Governor in order to give education a major boost in the state.
He maintained that AGILE attention was particularly shifted on the girl child for a reasons based on their vulnerability as a result of norms and practices which tends to deny them opportunities to go to school just like their male counterpart.
Adding that even the schools facility and environment is not friendly nor conducive to enhanced education of the girl child thereby exposing them to the risk of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and poor hygiene.
He further revealed that the project also gives priority to the disabled who couldn’t attend school due to inaccessibility of some educational facility by constructing structures that will give them easy access to enjoy every facility that AGILE will be made available in the schools.
He pointed out that under component one which is specifically meant to improve schools, AGILE is going to renovate a total of one thousand and fifty six schools in Adamawa State.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, for making education affordable, Mr Ati, revealed that the project has also make provision for financial stimulus to assist especially female caregivers and parents in providing other basic needs of the girl child to ensure she is encouraged to stay in school.
He said that already the project is receiving bid from contractors and will soon takeoff in the state, calling on all benefiting communities across 21 LGAs of the state to take ownership of the project and guide it jealously for their on benefit.
While soliciting for royal blessings and support of the Emirs and Chiefs Mr. Ati, assured the royal fathers that the project will turn around and improve girl child education in their respective domain and eventually the State and Northeast region as a whole.
In their responses the first class Emirs and Chiefs expressed satisfaction with the Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment AGILE project in their respective domain and the state at large.
The royal fathers who received delegation of the AGILE project team on tour in their palaces revealed that the project is apt and will go a long way in consolidating efforts of Government and restore the hope of the girl child and education in the state.
They acknowledged the impact the project will make especially at the basic level of education, calling on the team to pursue the project with sincerity and ensure it achieved the purpose intended.