A World Bank-supported project called AGILE (Adolescent Girl’s Initiative for Learning and Empowerment) is aiming to enroll 10,000 adolescent girls who have dropped out of school back into the education system.
This was revealed by Dr Amina Abdul, the AGILE Project Coordinator in Gombe State, at a media briefing on Wednesday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), AGILE is implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education with the support of the state government.
It has three main components: creating safe and accessible learning spaces, fostering and enabling environment for girls and project management and system strengthening.
Dr Abdul explained that the project targets adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 20 who have left school for various reasons, such as early marriage, gender-based violence, poverty and hard labour.
She said that these girls would be given the opportunity to resume their education and achieve their potential.
“Those who have started formal education will be accommodated in secondary schools. Those who have not and are within the age of 20 will go to literacy class, to be taught how to read and write,” she said.
She added that the girls in the literacy class would also learn ICT skills to make use of the internet facilities. She said that by completing their secondary education, the girls would be able to contribute to society, serve humanity and correct the social ills.
Dr Abdul urged all stakeholders to support the AGILE project and ensure its success. She said that AGILE was not only a project but a movement to empower adolescent girls in Gombe State and beyond.
