Following the takeoff of Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment where 10,000 girls are expected to benefit stakeholders have been sensitised towards its smooth operation.
AGILE project is a World Bank assisted project of the Federal Ministry of Education geared at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between 10 and 20.
Speaking, Gombe State Project Coordinator, Dr Amina Haruna, said the initiative is geared towards improving learning of girls, stressing that there was need to sensitise key actors to smoothen rough edges.
She said, “Recognising that the schools are our primary areas of operation we realised we can’t go further on the implementation except we enlighten them and try to seek for their cooperation that is why we invited them today, to enlighten them on what the entire project is all about so that the implementation will be smooth.”
While reacting to misgivings about North’s aversion to Western education, Haruna said “We are very optimistic that this project will change the situation already by the governor bringing it, it will be popular. He is very determined and supportive to this project that when we go to the community they will welcome us; some are already coming by themselves and we have been receiving various groups.”
On her part, Commissioner for Education Dr Aishatu Maigari, disclosed that the AGILE project is expected to bridge the gap in the education of girl-child.
She noted that the governor has provided the needed mechanism required for the project.
Maigari said, “By assenting child protection policy which is a prerequisite for the takeoff of the project and it encapsulates his vision for the girl-child in Gombe for her to be useful to the society.
“This stakeholders workshop is one of the sustainability drive because today we have talked to the principals whom are the major stakeholders in the schools.”
She disclosed that the stakeholders’ engagements would also consider traditional and religious leaders, “To tell them what AGILE is, for them to give us their inputs.”
Speaking further she added that Gombe laws prohibit denying children especially girls access to education.
“Gombe State has signed the child rights act which prohibits a child from being used for labour as against going to school. What we are doing is to transform the schools so that they can learn those skills they are going to learn in the field in the school. We are talking about technical and vocational skills and we are adding agriculture. We are targeting 10,000 girls for now and the beneficiaries will be taken from all the 11 Local Government Areas.”
