Bauchi motivates 16,260 girls to complete secondary education to reduce out-of-school children

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Bauchi State Project Coordinator of AGILE, Dr. Jamila Dahiru 

By Akanji Alowoludo, Bauchi

As a way of reducing the out-of-school rate and encourage Girl child education for development, Bauchi State Government has identified 16,260 girls in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools across the state who will enjoy a conditional cash transfer to motivate them attend classes and graduate under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project. 

The disclosure was made by the Bauchi State Project Coordinator of AGILE, Dr Jamila Dahiru while interacting with Media Executives over a breakfast meeting held in her Office on Saturday. 

The Project Coordinator who is the Commissioner of Education, explained that each of the girls in JSS 1-3 will be given the sum of N5,000 while those in SS 1-3 will receive the sum of N10,000 every term in order to encourage them to always return to school until graduation. 

Jamila Dahiru also explained that there will be digital education programme in order to empower them with a skill which will be useful to them in the future. 

According to her, the AGILE project is aimed at doing things differently in order to achieve the improved education sector through effective and efficient learning process in a conducive environment. 

She stressed that the project is to assist the students who have dropped out of school due to economic issues have the chance to go back to school and complete the second stage of education. 

Jamila Dahiru however stressed that the target is the poorest of the poor who do not have any means of payment of school fees and other requirements just as She said that mechanism has been put in place to determine those that will qualify. 

Apart from boosting enrollment of the girl child in school, the AGILE project will ensure that the standard and quality of education did not decline but rather improved upon grately as Teachers will be motivated and well equipped to impart knowledge on the students. 

The AGILE Project Coordinator explained that the set objective will be achieved under the Component One of the project which is ‘Safe and accessible learning soaces’ comprising new space learning in Secondary schools, improving existing infrastructure (school improvement), teachers recruitment and employment for new schools. 

Also, the second component which is ‘fostering enabling environment for girls’ under which promoting behavioural change through communication campaigns, engagement with traditional rulers and advocacy, providing girls with critical life skills and knowledge for navigating adulthood and digital literacy at all learning platforms as well as providing financial support to poor households under the conditional cash transfer. 

She added that the third component of the project is ‘system strengthening and project management’ which is where the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) team must be very active including the technical and community through the School Base Management Committees (SBMCs) for the implementation of the project. 

There is also the system for sustainability and national strategy for girls as well as providing data for EMIS and other things that will make the project successful in state. 

According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education,there is accountability in the execution of the project because it is community driven and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) monitored.

He expressed confidence that having the four drivers in place, the project will achieve its set objectives in Bauchi state assuring that all the stakeholders will be carried along to all the sites of the project across the state. 

According to him, “We will be doing things together, so, let us be partners in progress for the success of the project.”

The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, (AGILE) Project is a World Bank assisted project of the Federal Ministry of Education geared at improving Secondary Education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between 10 and 20.