AGILE Partners with Katsina Gov’t, Awards Secondary Schools N4.4bn Grants

The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment and the Katsina State Government have teamed up to provide N4.4 billion in funding to 100 secondary schools in the state.

The ceremony took place in the state’s Bindawa Local Government Area on Wednesday at GSSS Doro.

The cash aims to enhance the standard of education and development in the state and will be used to renovate an extra 100 junior and senior secondary schools around the state as part of the “Large Grant – Phase II initiative.”

Governor of the state Dikko Radda reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to enhancing the state’s educational system and promised to make sure that children are given a comfortable environment in which to learn.

This was disclosed in a Wednesday tweet by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media, Isah Miqdad.

“Will not relent to achieve excellence in education and to provide students with well-equipped classrooms and facilities that encourage learning and foster creativity,” the governor’s aide declared on behalf of the Dikko Raddah administration.

Hadiza Yaradua, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, also spoke during her remarks. She stated that the N44 million awarded to each of the schools that will benefit is intended to address the issues that many schools face, including outdated buildings, a shortage of classroom supplies, and inadequate learning resources.

 “She said the disbursement is the fourth of its kind, starting from small grants given to all 578 junior and senior secondary schools last year, large grant phase I given to 188 schools, mega grants given to 15 schools, and now the second phase of a large grant to 100 schools.

“She said the grant disbursement is used to upgrade and improve school infrastructure, including the renovation of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and administrative blocks,” the tweet read in parts.

Speaking at the same event, Dr. Mustapha Shehu, the state coordinator for AGILE, stated that the cooperation between the Katsina government and AGILE emphasizes the significance of partnerships in attaining sustainable educational development.

He stated that the goal of the AGILE initiative is to enhance education for all students, giving special consideration to the requirements of teenage girls.

He continued by saying that during the project’s intervention, roughly 150 new secondary schools were built, and in only two years, no fewer than 2,000 teachers were hired and trained.

The tweet went on to say that traditional rulers, religious leaders, and the chairman of Bindawa LGA were among those present at the ceremony.