Bauchi government allocates N150 million for girls’ empowerment project

Bauchi State has pledged a sum of N150 million towards the implementation of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, in partnership with the World Bank.

The announcement was made by Jamila Dahiru, the project coordinator in the state, during a press briefing held in Bauchi on Friday.

Dahiru emphasized that the government’s commitment reflects its dedication to promoting education and empowerment among girls in the state.

The AGILE Project, a collaborative effort between the World Bank and the federal government, aims to enhance secondary education and empowerment opportunities for adolescent girls.

It represents one of the most extensive and holistic interventions designed to enable girls’ access to and successful completion of secondary school education.

Sule Madara, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, represented Dahiru at the briefing. Madara highlighted that the AGILE project will benefit adolescent girls and vulnerable families across all 20 local government areas of Bauchi State.

To address the multifaceted challenges faced by adolescent girls, the AGILE program will implement a range of interventions across various sectors.

These include the construction and renovation of schools, the establishment of safer school environments, awareness campaigns to challenge societal norms, the provision of safe spaces for life skills training, and the dissemination of health, nutrition, reproductive, and menstrual hygiene information.

Additionally, the program will offer digital skills training, cash transfers to incentivize households to send girls to school, and other measures aimed at strengthening the education system in the state.

Dahiru stressed the numerous obstacles faced by adolescent girls in accessing and completing secondary education.