By Nasir Shuaibu (Bauchi State Correspondent)
The Bauchi State Government has highlighted the importance of community participation in maximizing the benefits of the World Bank–supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project aimed at improving girls’ education outcomes.
The emphasis was made during a quarterly community engagement organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Syndicate in Supporting Women and Children Initiative (SISWACHI) at the MHWUN Hall, Bauchi.
Representing the Commissioner for Education, the Permanent Secretary, Ali Babayo, said the engagement was designed to review progress, gather feedback and ensure effective implementation of the life skills component of the project.
He described AGILE as a historic intervention with the potential to equip adolescent girls with life skills that can positively impact their education and socio-economic future, urging stakeholders to take full advantage of the opportunity.
SISWACHI Executive Director, Maryam Mohammed, noted that the project’s life skills component empowers girls to cascade knowledge within their communities, thereby expanding its impact beyond the classroom.
The Executive Director of SISWACHI, Maryam Mohammed, disclosed that the programme is facing a shortfall in trained Guidance and Counsellors (G&Cs) and community mentors across secondary schools in the state.
“Initially, we were to train 200 G&Cs and 100 community mentors. Presently, we have 123 G&Cs and 100 mentors, leaving a gap of about 72 personnel,” she said.
Mohammed noted that the engagement with school principals and community leaders was aimed at identifying ways to close the manpower gap to achieve the target of deploying 300 facilitators across 100 secondary schools.
Despite the challenge, she described the AGILE life skills component as a valuable opportunity supported by the World Bank, urging communities to take ownership of the programme and sustain it beyond the project lifespan. NNL.
