By Khalid Idris Doya
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in Bauchi State has taken a significant step towards empowering adolescent girls by engaging school leaders, including principals, School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), on the importance of life skills training.
The engagement aimed to clarify the roles of school leaders in the implementation process, ensure stakeholder buy-in, and foster collaborative support for the initiative. According to the Bauchi State AGILE Project Coordinator, Ladi Mohammed Hamma, the engagement was designed to build a support network among school leaders for continued collaboration, sharing of best practices, and tackling implementation challenges.
Hamma explained that the training is essential for empowering adolescent girls and equipping school leaders to create and maintain safe, supportive environments for girls' development. "We are dealing with adolescent girls, and there are some things that would help these adolescent girls grow and become good citizens of society," she said.
The Coordinator disclosed that the project would commence disbursement of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) grants for 1,003 small and medium schools of adolescent girls in Bauchi State in the first week of August. However, she noted that the project has faced challenges in reaching some areas due to the current rainy season.
The State Technical Officer with the State Primary Healthcare Board, Sabuwar Tahir, described AGILE as a multisectoral project that would be implemented across ministries. "Health and education are almost the same thing," she said, highlighting the importance of collaboration between the two sectors.
Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Lawal Mohammed Rimin Zayam, expressed his ministry's commitment to supporting the program. "Bauchi AGILE is number three (3) rising AGILE among the additional eleven states in the federation," he said, stressing that the feat was achieved through the untiring efforts of Governor Bala Mohammed.
The AGILE project aims to empower adolescent girls with life skills, including decision-making, self-esteem, and skills acquisition, to help them become productive citizens. With 100 schools selected across the state for the life skills program, the project is poised to make a significant impact on the lives of adolescent girls in Bauchi State.
Tags
Education