No fewer than 19,700 adolescent girls in Nasarawa State are to benefit from the second phase of scholarship grants of the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project.
The project aims to support the education of adolescent girls in secondary schools in the state.
Nasarawa State Project Coordinator of AGILE, Hajiya Aishatu Isoga Aliyu, disclosed this during the official launch of a policy document on gender in education in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
The launch of the policy document brought together key stakeholders, including heads of schools and principals, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, to strengthen collaboration towards the success of the project in the state.
Haijya Aishatu said that the launch of the policy document was a major milestone that provides a framework for bridging the gender gap in education, in line with international best practices when carefully implemented.
She disclosed that the involvement of traditional and community leaders since the project has improved enrollment and detention of more adolescent girls in schools in the state.
Commissioner of Education, Dr John Mamman, who also chairs the State Steering Committee of AGILE, called for a stronger commitment of stakeholders to promoting inclusive and quality education for school children in the state.
He said that the launch of the policy document reflects Governor Abdullahi Sule’s commitment to turning around the fortune of education in the state.
In his remark, the president of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) in Nasarawa state, Mr Aloko William, stated that the project has brought about a significant reduction in the number of out-of-school girls in the state.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Disabilities Commission, Mallam Sale Barde Keana, stressed the importance of inclusivity, especially for girls living with disabilities.
New Telegraph reports that the event climaxed with the unveiling of the 123-page document, comprising six sections, which serves as a guide for the implementation AGILE Project in the state.
