The Sokoto State government has sought the cooperation of education stakeholders to ensure optimal implementation of the Adolescent Girls Initiative Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in the state.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Tukur Alkali, made the call at a capacity-building training for education managers organised by the AGILE project in collaboration with the ministry on Saturday in Sokoto.

Mr Alkali, represented by Altine Sifawa, pledged increased support to the project, noting that Governor Ahmad Aliyu ensured timely payment of counterpart funds.

“The present administration ensured the highest budgetary allocation to the education sector in the 2024 budget in line with United Nations standards,” he said.

In his address, Mansur Isa-Buhari, the project coordinator, said AGILE “is a federal government’s project supported by the World Bank, which focuses more on Northern Nigeria to encourage, positively reposition and change the statistics narratives of girls toward their education and future.”

Mr Isa-Buhari noted with satisfaction that Sokoto had joined the implementing states and had renovated 367 junior and senior secondary schools across the 23 local government areas of the state.

He added that at least 64 education managers from ministries, agencies, schools, School Based Management Committee (SBMC) members and representatives of some civil society organisations were targeted at the training.

The coordinator explained that participants would be trained on standard service delivery and other project content to achieve the desired success.

Mr Isa-Buhari said the training was meant to appraise the previous situations of the school environment, present student population and infrastructure, and review priorities and targets.

“We will continue to work for the success of the project towards the attainment of the nine-point agenda of Governor Aliyu’s administration in girls’ education and empowerment,” he said.

According to him, the participants are dependable agents who will help AGILE counter the general misconception and negative perception about the project’s activities, particularly in the north.

“We are providing the window for the girl-child to have life skills in order to support themselves, their parents and their husbands through empowerment,” Mr Isa-Buhari added.

The deputy project coordinator, Kabiru Garba, said presentations were lined up to be delivered by experts, adding, “We expect discussion, deliberation and offer solutions and ways to enhance the services.”

(NAN)