By George Omagbemi
The World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has improved learning conditions for more than 778,000 students in Katsina State through investments in school infrastructure and educational support.
According to the Katsina State Government, the intervention has upgraded 581 secondary schools through School Improvement Grants, helping to provide more conducive environments for teaching and learning.
The project has also renovated 3,099 classrooms and constructed 279 new ones, while 75 new secondary schools were initiated under its first phase, with 65 completed and handed over.
The achievements were highlighted during a government briefing on education interventions in the state, where officials also discussed measures to improve school attendance and reduce the number of students dropping out.
Abubakar Abdulhamid, the state AGILE Project Coordinator, disclosed that 104,111 female students had benefited from conditional cash transfers designed to support their education.
According to the state government, the financial assistance has contributed to improved attendance and transition rates, with the transition from primary school to junior secondary school reaching 71 per cent, while the transition from junior secondary to senior secondary school stood at 89 per cent.
AGILE is a Federal Ministry of Education initiative supported by the World Bank. It seeks to improve educational opportunities for adolescent girls by addressing barriers such as poverty, inadequate school facilities and challenges that prevent girls from completing secondary education.
Although the reported progress represents an important investment in education, sustained attention to teaching quality, learning materials, school safety and accountability will remain essential to ensure that students benefit fully from the programme.
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