Gov. Aliyu Flags-off AGILE Programme, Disburses N66m Imprest To 330 Principals
Sokoto Governor Ahmed Aliyu has flagged off the Adolescent Girl’s Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.
Under the programme, Gov. Aliyu disbursed N200,000 imprest to 330 Principals, amounting to N66 million.
This was contained in a statement Friday by Abubakar Bawa Press Secretary to Sokoto state Governor.
The Governor has also inaugurated the disbursement of improvement grants to 240 schools in the state.
He described AGILE Project as a critical component of the broader agenda to improve educational outcomes in the state.
According to Gov. Aliyu, this is by focusing on empowering adolescent girls through enhanced access to education, life skills training, and financial support.
He stated the project seeks to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the society, with a view to bolstering the educational development of the state.
Gov. Aliyu said: “We know that when we educate a girl-child, we empower not only her but her entire family, her community, and ultimately, our state and nation.”
According to him, the disbursement of the school improvement grants to the 240 Secondary Schools was designed to improve the learning environment for the students
He added that the funds would be used to rehabilitate schools’ infrastructure, provide ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)’ facilities and other essential learning materials.
It is also to ensure that schools across the state are safe and conducive for effective teaching and learning.
The Governor charged the Principals and Schools’-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) of the benefiting schools, to utilize the funds transparently and judiciously.
He, however, warned, “Every Naira should be accounted for, and every project must meet the highest standard of quality as required.
Gov. Aliyu said, “The people of Sokoto State are watching, and we must not betray their trust and confidence in us.
“I would like to remind you that we have recently inaugurated project monitoring and verification committees.
“They have been given the mandate to watch over all our projects and programmes to ensure value for money.
“We have challenged them never to compromise for quality work. The quality of our project must be of global standard,” noted.
While commending the teachers for their dedication and sacrifice,Gov Aliyu restated that his administration is committed to supporting them through capacity-building programmes, improved welfare, and the provision of modern teaching tools.
According to him, this is in order to enhance their knowledge and performance through routine training and retraining.
The Governor said, “To our young girls, I want you to know that you are the reason we are here today.
“Your education is not only your right but also your pathway to a brighter future.
“We are doing this for you because we believe in your potentials to achieve greatness.”
Gov. Aliyu further added that his administration had re-introduced the School Feeding Programme, covering 23 Boarding Schools, with a population of 17,367 students.
He disclosed that the programme is gulping a whopping N680,786,400 million annually.
Gov. Aliyu said, “We have also procured and distributed sporting facilities in all our public schools across the state.
*We have also ensured the payment of external examination fees for final year students irrespective of their state, tribal or religious differences.”
According to.him, the state government had constructed 147 classrooms, and renovated 142 others, provided 208 VIP toilets, school fencing and boreholes.
This is in order to provide a conducive environment for teaching and learning to take place and to change the hitherto negative narratives about the education sector in the state.
This, the Governor said, was in addition to the recent employment of 2,000 teachers who were deployed to teach at Secondary and Nomadic Schools across the state.
He further said that the state government had recently awarded contracts for the total renovation and remodelling of some Primary and Secondary Schools in the state.
He said, “They include Command Military Schools located in Giginya Barracks and Shagari Local Government, Government Science Secondary School Yabo, Nagarta College, and Sultan Abubakar College Sokoto.
“Others are Government Girls Secondary School Bodinga, GGSS Illela, Sheik Abubakar Gummi Memorial College, Hafsatu Ahmadu Bello Secondary school, Ahmadu Bello Academy, Sani Dingyadi Unity Secondary School and Sokoto Teachers College, among others.
He further disclosed that Marafa Dan Baba and Tudun Wada Model Primary Schools, among others, had since been renovated.
In his goodwill message, Minister for State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo commended Gov. Aliyu for the various transformation taking place in the state.
According to him,areas such as security, social welfare, education, health care, religious affairs, infrastructures as well as youth empowerment are all receiving the needed attention from the state Governor.
The Minister to this end, called on good people of Sokoto State to continue to support the Governor to transform the state.
Also speaking, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ladan Ala, commended the Governor for meeting his obligations by doling out the state’s counterpart funds.
This, the Commissioner said, had helped greatly in ensuring that the AGILE programme became a reality in the state.
He charged parents and guardians in the state to take advantage of the programme by enrolling their wards into schools.
In his remarks, the Sokoto State Coordinator of AGILE, Dr Mansur Isa Buhari, commended the Governor for for giving the programme the attention I deserves.
He called on parents and guardians in the state, especially in the rural areas to ensure that their children attend classes regularly and promptly, appealing that the government’s huge investment into the programme must be protected.
Similarly, Governor Aliyu has flagged off the disbursement of N200,000 monthly imprest to 330 schools across the state, to cost government N66,000,000 million.
The invaluable gesture is in order to assist the Principals undertake to undertake routine minor repairs in their schools.
