By: James Simon
Adamawa State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Development (AGILE), has called on policymakers, heads of agencies, religious leaders, and the people of Adamawa State to work together in reducing the number of out-of-school children to the barest minimum.
This call was made by the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of AGILE, Hyelda Bathon, during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement in Yola.
Bathon emphasized that the primary goal of the AGILE project is to create safe and accessible learning spaces, foster an enabling environment for girls, enhance project management, and strengthen the education system.
This, he said, would provide a second chance for out-of-school children, particularly girls.
He further identified traditional beliefs, gender inequality, poverty, insecurity, and inadequate learning facilities as key barriers preventing children from attending formal school in Nigeria.
Bathon commended the Adamawa State Government and the World Bank for their support and commitment to ensuring the success of the project.
Speaking at the engagement with the theme:
“Securing Government Buy-in to Enhance the Implementation of the AGILE Project in Adamawa State,” the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Umar Garba Pella, represented by the Director of Administration, Alhaji Hassan Yakubu, reaffirmed Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s commitment to tackling the issue of out-of-school children.
Garba noted that the state government is working tirelessly to address the challenge and has been providing counterpart funding to support the AGILE project, while urging the public to play their part by sensitizing their communities on the importance of formal education, especially for the girl child.
