By: Fabian Apechihin

• As Kwara First Lady assures girl-child of equal opportunities

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State Government has officially flagged-off the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project to enhance secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in the state, as 32,420 school girls get scholarship.

At the epoch-making event, tagged “Official Flag-Off of Kwara AGILE Project and Symbolic Presentation of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) to beneficiaries in the State”, which held at the Banquet Hall, Ilorin, the wife of the State Governor, Ambassador Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, explained that the AGILE Project is a deliberate step towards ensuring that adolescent girls in the state have quality and robust education, equipping them with practical knowledge needed to navigate society’s demands.

Lauding the initiative’s commitment to second chance education for girls, aged 15 to 25, the First Lady reiterated that the AGILE Project would continue to “touch lives, and build a Kwara where every girl, every family will have opportunities to thrive”.

She reminded the gathering that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has invested hugely in the state’s education, some of which include school rehabilitation, provision of stationeries, school bags and other facilities to make learning conducive.

The First Lady added that while the cash transfer incentive by AGILE is to ease the girls’ financial constraints, the state government is committed to continuous advocacy against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

For his part, the state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, who also doubles as the Chairman, State Project Steering Committee (SPSC) of Kwara AGILE, said that the AGILE Project is designed to phase out the barriers that impede the educational career of our girl children, especially at the transition stage, stressing that Governor AbdulRazaq has “redefined governance through outstanding vision and dynamic holistic approach to various issues in the state”.

He noted that AGILE Project is supportive to strengthening the foundation of education, praising the present administration for allocating substantial resources to the education sector for human development.

He declared that each beneficiary would go home with the sum of N40, 000, adding that each would also subsequently be getting N10, 000 per term, having fulfilled the conditions of good performance and at least 70 percent school attendance rate.

The Commissioner specifically commended Ambassador Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, describing her as the epitome of compassion, whose morale amplifies the voice of women in the state, urging parents and guardians to use the support judiciously, while assuring the beneficiaries that the government is resolute at protecting them from any form of abuse.

Earlier, the State Project Coordinator of AGILE Project, Mr. Adeshina Salami, revealed that the AGILE initiative is to be delivered through various components including creation of safe and accessible learning spaces, fostering of an enabling environment for girls, project management and system strengthening among others, emphasising that
each component concentrates on respective educational demands.

While acknowledging the efforts of Governor AbdulRazaq in ensuring that the project became a reality of fruition in the state, Salami noted that Kwara State was “the first to pay the mandatory counterpart fund of N150m among the Additional Financing (AF) States.

He added that the Governor has “provided and is still providing the enabling environment that has been nurturing the project till date.”

According to him, the project, which has a life span of five years, has been focusing on adolescent girls in all parts of the state “without leaving the boys behind.”

Salami observed that the ceremony marked a landmark point in the resolve of the Governor to implementing the project to enable the girl-child have access to quality educational opportunities.

The Coordinator then called on different stakeholders to give support to the project as the governor has set the ball of AGILE rolling.

The PTA Chairman and first Makama of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Oniye in his remarks, commended the efforts of the Governor and the Ministry of Education and prayed for greater success of the project in the State.

Speaking with journalists, the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Lead of Kwara AGILE, Alhaji Mohammed Issa Alaya commended the Governor and noted that the CCT component is a critical one which aims to improve enrolment, retention and completion of secondary education particularly for adolescent girls.

He described it as a way of helping girls who come from vulnerable households, easing the burden on parents, and encouraging continuous schooling for the girl child.

Highpoint of the event was the symbolic presentation of conditional cash transfer (CCT) to 32, 420 beneficiaries drawn across the 3 senatorial districts of the state.

In attendance were commissioners and members of the State Project Committee (SPSC) of AGILE project; Senior Adviser and Counselor to the Governor, Alhaji Sa’adu Salau; Special Adviser on Media, Alhaji Bashir Adigun; Special Adviser on Special Duties, Alhaji AbdulRazaq Jiddah; Dr Ghali Alaya; and APC Chieftain Engr AbdulRahman Giwa.

Also, the event had representatives of traditional and religious rulers, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), education stakeholders.

Parents and students who spoke with journalists expressed their joy and appreciated the Governor for bringing that project to the state.

The occasion was spiced with entertainment by the troupe from the state Council for Arts and Culture and presentations by the students from the Kwara State School for Special Needs.

End