The Emir of Kano, His Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, has expressed delight over the achievements of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, which has successfully re-enrolled more than 30,000 adolescent girls back in school and renovated over 1,300 schools across Kano State.
The Emir made the remarks during an advocacy visit by the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) to his palace, noting that the initiative has rescued many girls from an uncertain future.
He reaffirmed the Kano Emirate Council’s commitment to championing education, especially for girls, pledging sustained advocacy for enrollment, retention, transition, and completion of girls’ education in the state.
In a statement signed by Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim ANIPR, Communication Officer of the AGILE Project in Kano, the Emir also stressed the importance of collaboration and synergy in implementing impactful policies and programs for the development of the state and the nation.
He commended the AGILE Project for its strong monitoring and evaluation framework, particularly in tracking the utilization of grants and conditional cash transfers.
Speaking during the visit, the Kano State AGILE Coordinator, Malam Mustapha Aminu, disclosed that more than 100,000 students are currently enrolled in learning centers across 23 local government areas as part of the project’s second-chance education initiative.
According to him, the program targets out-of-school adolescent girls, providing them with opportunities to complete their secondary education while acquiring entrepreneurship and life skills. The students undergo training in literacy, numeracy, and entrepreneurship at over 5,000 learning centers.
He added that after nine months of instruction, participants take examinations and receive certificates equivalent to the Junior Secondary School Certificate. Those who proceed to the advanced literacy program are also eligible to sit for national examinations such as NECO and WAEC.
Malam Mustapha noted that the team visited the Emir’s palace to seek royal blessings and continued support to help achieve the project’s objectives.
The AGILE Project is a World Bank-supported initiative implemented through the Federal and State Ministries of Education, aimed at expanding access to quality secondary education for adolescent girls in Nigeria.
