No fewer than eight states are set to benefit from a $500 million World Bank grant for the improvement of girls’ child education, The PUNCH reports.
The project is titled the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment.
This was made known in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education, which was made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday.
According to the statement, which was signed by the ministry’s Communications Officer, Linda Irabor, the eight implementing states include Borno, Ekiti, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Plateau.
The statement also noted that the project will be a five-year effort.
It was also stated that a visitation panel led by the National Project Coordinator, Mrs. Amina aruna, visited some of the projects currently being facilitated in the benefiting states.
The statement read, “As part of preparations for the take-off of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project, the National Project Coordinating Unit, has started visitations to the beneficiary states to ascertain their levels of implementation and progress.
“The AGILE Project is a five-year initiative of the Federal Government with support from the World Bank to improve secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in the implementing states as well as empower them to earn their living. The implementing states are Borno, Ekiti, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau.
“The NPCU visited Ekiti and Katsina Stales recently. In Ekiti State, the NPCU, led by the National Project Coordinator, Mrs Amina Haruna, said the team was in the state to find ways it could be of assistance to ensure effective project implementation for optimum results. Mrs. Haruna emphasised the need for synergy among team members and with the state government so as to achieve the goals of the AGILE project in the state.
“The visiting team also met with the State Commissioner for Education, and Permanent Secretary, Science and Technology, Ekiti State Ministry of Education, Dr. Kofoworola Aderiye and Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, respectively. They expressed delight at the visit and pledged their commitment to the success of the AGILE project in the state.
“In Katsina State, the State Project Coordinator, Mr. Mustapha Shehu, also took the NPCU team around the project’s sites to ascertain that the ongoing construction and renovation are in accordance with the World Bank’s prescribed construction and renovation standards.
“Part of the facilities inspected in Ekiti and Katsina States includes: school buildings being constructed or renovated, laboratories, libraries, hotels, and their water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.”
