The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to providing quality education and creating safe learning environments where every girl can lead and thrive in her chosen career.
This was emphasized by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the launch of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Additional Financing (AGILE-AF) Project and the grand finale of the AGILE Games held at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
The event, part of the Children’s Day celebrations, highlighted the positive impact of the project on girls’ education and underscored the importance of enrolling, retaining, and ensuring girls complete their secondary education without hindrance.
Senator Tinubu congratulated the participating states and students, reiterating the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure every child has access to quality education for a better future.
She also acknowledged the support of religious leaders, traditional rulers, teachers, and community members, urging students to remain focused and believe in themselves. “You are all champions. Keep learning, keep growing. Let us continue to stand united. Go to school, complete your education, and never stop believing in what you can achieve,” she encouraged.
Earlier, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, commended the First Lady for her continuous support of education, gender issues, social protection, and human capital development.
Describing the AGILE Project as transformational, Dr. Alausa highlighted its role in providing WASH facilities to protect health and dignity and creating safe, conducive learning spaces.
He noted, “Every textbook is a building block for peace, every school an act of justice, and every trained teacher a guardian of our shared future.”
It is worth recalling that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq demonstrated his commitment to girls’ education by paying ₦150 million in counterpart funds for the Kwara State AGILE Project in August 2022.
AGILE is a five-year project by the Federal Ministry of Education, supported by the World Bank, aimed at enhancing secondary education opportunities for girls in targeted regions.
As part of the administration’s proactive approach, Kwara State is among the 11 Additional Financing (AF) states benefiting from the project, having met World Bank requirements.
The seven original participating states include Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau, while the 11 AF states launched recently are Kwara, Kogi, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa, Adamawa, Niger, Bauchi, Gombe, and Nasarawa.
The event was attended by prominent figures including the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima; wives of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim; Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmed; Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and former AGILE Task Team Lead, Aisha Garba; members of the National Assembly; World Bank Country Director, Dr. Ndiame Diop; as well as Religious and Traditional Leaders.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was represented by Dr. Ebenezer Leo, Head of the Education Department at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Also present were the Kwara AGILE State Project Coordinator, Mr. Adeshina Salami, other AGILE Project Implementation Unit members, development partners, stakeholders, and students from various schools.
Highlights of the occasion included a dance drama, performances by children, and awards presented to students who excelled in volleyball, basketball, poetry, short story writing, entrepreneurship, essay writing, painting, digital literacy, and debate.
