Rakiya A.Muhammad
The Sokoto State government has expressed its resolve to eliminate all obstacles and guarantee that all children in the state have access to high-quality education.
“For too long, the barriers to education—poverty, cultural norms, infrastructure deficits, and other systemic challenges—have hindered our youth, particularly adolescent girls, from realising their full potential,” he noted.
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to removing these barriers and ensuring that every child in Sokoto State has access to quality education.”
Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto reiterated this at the flagging-off ceremony for the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project and the disbursement of School Improvement Grants to 240 secondary schools.
The occasion also marked the start of the monthly payment of N200,000 to all categories of secondary schools in the state.
They include colleges, secondary schools, Arabic schools, boarding primary schools, and government Almajiri boarding schools in the state.
The Governor said they would expend N66,000,000.00 as monthly imprest to 330 schools for maintenance and minor repairs of basic facilities.
He described the AGILE Project as a critical component of his administration’s broader agenda to improve educational outcomes in the state.
“By focussing on empowering adolescent girls through enhanced access to education, life skills training, and financial support, the project addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities,” he stated.
“We know that when we educate a girl, we empower not only her but her entire family, her community, and ultimately, our state and nation.”
He said that, in line with the objectives of the AGILE Project, the disbursement of school improvement grants to 240 secondary schools was designed to improve students’ learning environments.
Dr Aliyu disclosed that the funds would be used to rehabilitate school infrastructure, provide water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and other essential learning materials, and ensure that schools are safe and conducive to effective teaching and learning.
He charged the benefiting schools’ principals and school-based management committees (SBMCs) to use the funds transparently and judiciously.
The Governor highlighted the employment of 2,000 teachers for secondary and nomadic schools across the state.
He added that to enhance teachers’ knowledge and performance, training and retraining had been conducted in all 23 LGEAs in the state.
“We have also procured and distributed 9,852 sets of furniture for both pupils and teachers, in addition to providing other basic school needs across the state,” he revealed.
“Since we came on board, we have constructed 147 classrooms and renovated 142; we have provided 208 VIP toilets, school fencing, and boreholes to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning.”
Governor Aliyu expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support for the state and acknowledged the contributions of the World Bank and other development partners to making the AGILE Project a reality.
