The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has applauded Kebbi State for recording significant progress in girls’ education through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) program.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NANS National Sports Director, Comrade Haruna Tijjani, noted that over 20,000 schoolgirls in Kebbi have received financial support to continue their education — a development that has contributed to a 20% reduction in the number of girls dropping out of school.
The AGILE program, funded by the World Bank, is a Federal Government initiative under the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) of the Federal Ministry of Education. The program focuses on increasing access to quality education for adolescent girls by improving school facilities, offering conditional cash transfers to low-income families, addressing cultural and social barriers to girls’ education, and providing essential life, digital, and vocational skills training.
AGILE is currently being implemented across 18 states: seven initial states (Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau) and eleven additional states (Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kogi, Jigawa, Kwara, Yobe, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, and Sokoto) under extended funding.
Tijjani praised the Kebbi State Project Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Haido, describing the AGILE implementation in the state as one of the most compelling educational success stories in Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the program has led to the upgrading of 303 schools and the delivery of 1,387 classrooms across Kebbi State — with 1,339 renovated and 48 newly constructed. Additionally, over 7,000 infrastructure projects such as perimeter fencing, hostels, staff quarters, multipurpose halls, and skills acquisition centers have been completed in all 21 local government areas.
He added that more than 40,000 classroom furniture sets have been supplied, alongside 1,336 WASH facilities, including toilets and boreholes. Construction is also ongoing for 30 new junior secondary schools and 18 senior secondary schools. Furthermore, 75 primary schools have been upgraded to junior secondary level, while 45 junior schools have been elevated to senior secondary status.
“Through the AGILE conditional cash transfer program, over 20,000 girls have been supported financially to stay in school. More than 2,000 teachers have also been trained in gender-sensitive teaching techniques, while traditional and religious leaders continue to play active roles in advocating for girls’ education,” Tijjani stated.
He further highlighted key outcomes, including a 40% rise in girls’ enrollment, a 30% improvement in learning outcomes in Mathematics and English, and a 20% decline in dropout rates.
Tijjani credited these achievements to Haido’s effective leadership and strategic community engagement. He encouraged other states to emulate Kebbi’s model, emphasizing that investing in girls’ education has long-term social and economic benefits for communities and the country at large.
