National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The World Bank, through its Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, has unveiled plans to renovate 534 schools and construct an additional 54 secondary schools across Niger State.
This initiative aims to address the infrastructural deficiencies in the education sector and enhance student enrollment rates throughout the state.
During a one-day sensitization workshop for Zonal Quality Assistance Officers held in Minna, the Deputy Project Coordinator of AGILE, Salisu Danjuma, disclosed that monetary incentives of N5,000 and N10,000 will be provided to vulnerable girls in seven local government areas of Niger State.
These incentives are designed to support girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring they have the means to continue their education.
Danjuma emphasized that the project seeks to empower girls who face financial obstacles in pursuing secondary education, thereby encouraging their transition to higher levels of learning.
The goal is to create an educational environment where all girls have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their socio-economic circumstances.”
“We have been told that the seven most vulnerable local government areas in Niger state include Mokwa, Mariga, Rafi, Shiroro, Lavun, Lapai, and Gbako. We will start with these local government areas.
“The girls would be selected based on the background of their families. The most poorest will be the ones supported. We have started accessing the girls. They will be in cohorts.
“The girls in Junior secondary will be assisted with N5,000 every term and the girls in the senior secondary will be assisted with N10,000 every term.
“This would reduce the poverty level of the family that is preventing the girl from going to school. The incentive would allow the families to allow these girls to go to school as the money would be used to help the family. The incentive would improve the enrollment and completion of the girls secondary education,”
He further announced the schools renovation and construction is also being embarked upon to improve the infrastructures in schools and improve the learning conditions of these schools.
“One of the component of the AGILE project would be the renovation of 534 schools and construction of 54 schools which would include 27 junior secondary schools and 27 senior secondary schools. The entire work would be handled by community people, the school based management committee of the school.”
According to him, the schools would be entitled to grants between $30,000 to $90,000 depending om the population pf the schools stating that the money would be given in trenches to the benefiting schools.
