El-Rufai Launches Adolescent Girls Initiative and Empowerment Project

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched the Adolescent Girls Initiative and Empowerment (AGILE) project in Kaduna.

The project, jointly sponsored by the World Bank and Federal Government, was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 5.

It aimed at ensuring that all adolescent girls across the states have access to quality secondary school education as well as benefit from enhanced learning, digital literacy and life skills.

Speaking at the event held at the weekend in Kaduna, El-Rufai described the project as the most successful of World Bank finance projects in Nigeria’s history.

“As far as I know, it is the only World Bank finance project so far in Nigeria’s history that achieved 100% draw down and continuing. I am very proud of the agile projects,” he said.

He said: “As far as education is concerned, Kaduna is on the right path and with the (incoming) governor and the deputy governor that we have, Kaduna is in safe hands by the special grace of God.”

Speaking at the event, a representative of World Bank Country Director, Aisha Garba, said AGILE is one of the biggest projects of the World Bank with $1.2 billion.

According to her, this is a demonstration of the bank’s commitment in enhancing the development and education of young girls and women in Nigeria.

She commended the Kaduna State Government for taking full ownership of the project.

She reiterated the commitment of the bank to supporting Kaduna State and the federal government.

The project initially started across seven states namely, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Ekiti, Borno and Plateau and was extended to Adamawa, Bauchi, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states.

The project is designed based on three core components: creation of safe and accessible learning spaces through the construction of ‘Smart Classrooms’ and other infrastructure.

A presentation made at the event by the Kaduna state government said existing primary schools will be expanded to include junior and senior secondary schools and a total of 155 new secondary schools will be constructed as part of the components of the project.

Similarly, the project is funding the rehabilitation of dated classrooms and facilities as well as providing teaching and learning materials to ensure schools are functional, conducive and inclusive.

The project also focuses on community awareness and communication which shift social norms and perceptions. It also provides girls with relevant life and digital literacy skills as well as Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) to the poorest households to enable adolescent girls to start and complete secondary school.

So far, the project is establishing safe spaces across 142 schools with girls being trained in leadership, self-agency, nutrition, menstrual hygiene, safeguarding against gender-based-violence, productive health and climate change and action.

A total of 6,250 students are said to be currently participating in the project’s digital literacy programme and over 35,575 girls have received scholarships. The project is also supporting 550 secondary schools with lCT infrastructure and devices for the delivery of digital literacy.