Education
NO fewer than 50 religious leaders in Kaduna participated in a sensitisation exercise aimed at correcting misconceptions on the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), project.
In a speech at the sensitisation, the AGILE Project Coordinator in Kaduna, Hajiya Maryam Dangaji, said the project was aimed at deepening and expanding access to education.
The project, she said, particularly aims at the girl-child education at Secondary School level.
According to him, statistics has shown that girls are the most vulnerable in the society, with many of them lacking access to education.
The coordinator regretted that a number of girls in Kaduna and other states terminate their studies at the primary school level.
“The sensitisation is part of Kaduna AGILE’s unwavering dedication to fostering collaboration and engagement within communities, to address the misconceptions on the project.
“It aims at enhancing the project awareness and fostering greater understanding of the project among religious leaders in the state.
“We also seek to increase opportunities and impact in education of the youths,” she said.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Muhammad Bello, had said that Kaduna had 16 per cent of the total amount provided by World Bank.
He explained that it achieved the above in collaboration with the Federal Government, to support the AGILE project.
“The 16 per cent of the fund for Kaduna State Government was used in building schools and renovation of existing ones.
“The fund was also used to provide soft skills and awareness amongst the population,” the commissioner said.
Speaking on out-of-school children, Bello said there was an upcoming project supported by Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Kuwait Funds and other partners, to support the children.
He disclosed that the number of out-of-school children stood at “about 700,000, who have either not started school or dropped out,”
The commissioner described the number as alarming, assuring the handlers of the state government’s committment to addressing issues on education in the state.
One of the participants, Muhammad-Bello Auwal, the Chief Imam of Barnawa Central Mosque, said he was satisfied with the information he got about AGILE.
“We are satisfied with the content, procedure and all the activities of AGILE.
“We commend the state government and the AGILE project, for making education accessible, especially to our young girls,” he said.
Also, Abubakar Muhammad, an Imam from Rigasa, Igabi local government of the state, said, he initially had a different perception about the AGILE project.
“With the explanation offered during the sensitisation, I understood that the AGILE project is aimed at giving proper upbringing to girls, through education,” he said. (NAN)
5th March, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Hajiya Maryam Dangaji lproject
