Sokoto AGILE Project Begins Construction of 56 Secondary Schools Across Sokoto
By Fahad Faruk Galadanchi
Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government has commenced the construction of 56 new secondary schools across the state in what is being described as one of the most significant education infrastructure interventions in recent years.
The AGILE Project, designed to improve access to quality education for adolescent girls and vulnerable learners, is being implemented by the administration of Governor Ahmad Aliyu as part of broader efforts to strengthen the education sector and expand opportunities for secondary education across Sokoto State.
The projects, which are expected to be completed within 10 months, officially commenced on Tuesday with the handover of project sites to contractors by engineers from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education alongside AGILE Project consultants.
Speaking during the exercise, AGILE Project Component Lead 1.1, Engineer Garba Alhaji, explained that the intervention will see 28 existing primary schools upgraded to Junior Secondary Schools, while another 28 Junior Secondary Schools will be transformed into Senior Secondary Schools.
He noted that the AGILE Project is specifically targeted at addressing barriers affecting access to education, especially for girls in underserved communities.
According to him, each of the 56 schools will be equipped with modern facilities aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning. The facilities include fully furnished laboratories for Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Computer Science, as well as 12 classrooms, a multipurpose hall, solar-powered boreholes, and a 14-unit toilet block with separate sections for boys and girls.
The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Murtala Abubakar Chika, said the AGILE intervention reflects Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s strong commitment to improving educational outcomes and increasing school enrolment, retention, and completion rates among girls.
He urged communities and school authorities to protect the facilities from vandalism and ensure proper maintenance after completion.
Chika also called on contractors handling the projects to deliver quality work in line with approved specifications and within the stipulated timeframe.
The President of the Sokoto State chapter of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Comrade Muhammad Iklilu, commended the state government for leveraging the AGILE Project to improve educational infrastructure and create better learning opportunities for students.
Representatives of the contractors assured the government of their commitment to delivering the projects according to specification and schedule, while principals and School-Based Management Committees pledged to monitor the execution of the projects to ensure accountability and quality delivery.
