Bauchi State, Nigeria, is taking a groundbreaking step to boost girls’ attendance in secondary schools through its Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) program. Under this initiative, the state government will provide financial incentives to 16,260 girls in secondary schools across the state.

The Commissioner of Education and coordinator of the AGILE program, Jamila Dahiru, announced this policy change during a press conference on Saturday. According to Mrs. Dahiru, girls in junior secondary schools will receive N5,000 per term, while those in senior secondary school will be granted N10,000 per term.

The AGILE program is a multifaceted approach aimed at transforming the education landscape in Bauchi State. Mrs. Dahiru emphasized that the primary goal is to assist students who dropped out of school due to economic challenges, providing them with an opportunity to complete their secondary education.

“The target is the poorest of the poor who do not have any means to pay school fees and other requirements,” she explained. To ensure transparency, the government has put mechanisms in place to determine eligible students.

Besides increasing girls’ enrollment in schools, the AGILE program aims to elevate the standard and quality of education. This will be achieved by motivating and equipping teachers to impart knowledge effectively.

The AGILE program comprises three key components:

1. Safe and Accessible Learning Spaces: The initiative plans to build new learning facilities, enhance existing infrastructure, and recruit more teachers to ensure a conducive learning environment.
2. Fostering an Enabling Environment for Girls: This component focuses on behavioral change through communication campaigns, engagement with traditional rulers, and advocacy. It also includes providing girls with essential life skills, knowledge for adulthood, and digital literacy
3. System Strengthening and Project Management: This involves active participation of the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) team, technical and community engagement through School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).

AGILE is a World Bank-assisted project under the Federal Ministry of Education, designed to improve secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between 10 and 20 in Bauchi State. This forward-thinking initiative holds the potential to not only empower young girls but also transform the education landscape in the region.

Credit: Premium Times