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Governor Ahmed Aliyu has flagged off the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme in Sokoto State.
He also disbursed N200,000 imprest to 330 school principals, amounting to N66 million to enable them undertake routine minor repairs in their schools and inaugurated disbursement of improvement grants to 240 schools.
Governor Aliyu described the AGILE project as a critical component of the broader agenda to improve education in the state.
He said his administration would focus on empowering adolescent girls through enhanced access to education, life skills training and financial support.
The project, he stated, would address some of the most pressing challenges facing the society, with a view to bolstering educational development. “We know that when we educate a girl-child, we empower not only her but her entire family, her community and ultimately, our state and nation.’’
He explained that disbursement of the school improvement grants to the 240 secondary schools was designed to improve the learning environment for the students
He added that the funds would be used to rehabilitate schools’ infrastructure and provide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities and other essential learning materials.
It would also ensure that schools across the state are safe and conducive for effective teaching and learning.
The governor charged the principals and Schools’-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) of the benefiting schools to utilise the funds transparently and judiciously, saying, “every naira should be accounted for, and every project must meet the highest standard of quality as required.
“The people of Sokoto State are watching, and we must not betray their trust and confidence in us. I would like to remind you that we have recently inaugurated project monitoring and verification committees.
“They have been given the mandate to watch over all our projects and programmes to ensure value for money. We have challenged them never to compromise but ensure quality work. The quality of our project must be of global standard.”
He commended the teachers for their dedication and sacrifice and restated that his administration was committed to supporting them through capacity-building programmes, improved welfare and provision of modern teaching tools.
According to him, this is to enhance their knowledge and performance through routine training and retraining.
“To our young girls, I want you to know that you are the reason we are here today. Your education is not only your right but also your pathway to a brighter future. We are doing this for you because we believe in your potential to achieve greatness.”
He added that his administration had re-introduced the school feeding programme, covering 23 boarding schools with a population of 17,367 students.
He disclosed that the programme is gulping a whopping N680,786,400 annually.
“We have also procured and distributed sporting facilities in all our public schools across the state. We have also ensured the payment of external examination fees for final year students irrespective of their state, tribal or religious differences.”
He said the state government had constructed 147 classrooms and renovated 142 others, provided 208 VIP toilets, school fencing and boreholes to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning to take place and to change the hitherto negative narratives about the education sector in the state.
This, he said, was in addition to the recent employment of 2,000 teachers who were deployed to teach at secondary and nomadic schools across the state.
The state government has also awarded contracts for the renovation and remodelling of some primary and secondary schools. “The schools include Command Military Schools located in Giginya Barracks and Shagari Local Government, Government Science Secondary School, Yabo, Nagarta College, Sultan Abubakar College, Sokoto, Government Girls Secondary School, Bodinga, Government Girls Secondary School, Illela, Sheik Abubakar Gummi Memorial College, Hafsatu Ahmadu Bello Secondary School, Ahmadu Bello Academy, Sani Dingyadi Unity Secondary School and Sokoto Teachers College, among others.
He disclosed that Marafa Dan Baba and Tudun Wada Model Primary Schools, among others, had since been renovated.
Minister for State Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo commended Governor Aliyu for the various transformations taking place in the state.
He said areas such as security, social welfare, education, health care, religious affairs, infrastructures and youth empowerment were all receiving the needed attention.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof.Ladan Ala, commended the governor for meeting his obligations by releasing the state’s counterpart funds.
This, he said, had helped greatly in ensuring that the AGILE programme became a reality.
He charged parents and guardians to take advantage of the programme by enrolling their wards in schools.
The Coordinator of AGILE, Dr. Mansur Isa Buhari, also commended the governor for giving the programme the attention it deserves and called on parents and guardians, especially in rural areas, to ensure their children attend classes regularly and promptly and to protect government’s huge investment into the programme.
