By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto

SOKOTO — Sokoto State is undergoing a significant educational transformation, particularly in the empowerment of adolescent girls, through the impactful Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.

Spearheading this change is the Sokoto State Project Coordinator, Dr. Mansur Isah Buhari, whose leadership has been pivotal in translating AGILE’s vision into measurable progress. In an exclusive interview on Friday, Dr. Buhari underscored the project’s central aim: to expand access to quality education for adolescent girls and reduce the high rate of school dropouts.

He identified poverty, cultural myths, and religious misconceptions as key barriers to girl-child education in parts of the state.

“Many parents still believe that educating girls is unnecessary or un-Islamic, despite education being both a fundamental right and a tool for community development,” Dr. Buhari said.

Economic hardship, he added, often forces families to withdraw their daughters from school first. “AGILE is reversing this trend through strategic interventions that directly address these challenges,” he noted.

One major component of the project involves the renovation and reconstruction of 240 primary and junior secondary schools across 20 communities in all 23 local government areas of the state. These schools are being upgraded with clean water, modern toilet facilities, and improved learning environments — critical factors for increasing enrollment and retention, especially among girls.

To ensure long-term sustainability, AGILE is also strengthening community participation through School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs). These involve parents, traditional rulers, and religious leaders in school governance and enrolment drives.

“Education is a shared responsibility,” Dr. Buhari said. “By empowering local communities, we are fostering ownership and accountability that will sustain the reforms.”

Despite ongoing challenges such as early marriage and restrictive gender norms in rural areas, Dr. Buhari remains hopeful. He said the project is actively engaging religious and community leaders in dialogues to correct misconceptions and promote the compatibility of girls’ education with Islamic values.

Reinforcing the AGILE framework is a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program designed to reduce the financial burdens that prevent girls from attending school.

Alhaji Mamuda Galadima, the CCT Coordinator for AGILE in Sokoto, said the program will benefit 40,000 adolescent girls across the state’s 23 LGAs.

“The Conditional Cash Transfer is targeted at vulnerable and at-risk girls, especially in rural and low-income communities,” Galadima said. “Our goal is not just enrollment, but completion and transition to higher levels of education.”

Beneficiaries will be selected through a data-driven approach, and the financial support will be tied to school attendance and performance to ensure accountability. Distribution of Automated Transaction Machine (ATM) cards to beneficiaries and their parents will commence on Monday. The cards will enable easy fund access through POS agents in local communities.

“The purpose of issuing ATM cards is to make access to funds easier, even within their immediate environments,” Galadima explained.

The AGILE project, supported by the World Bank and implemented across several Nigerian states, also integrates digital literacy, skills training, and social norms transformation — aiming for lasting impact beyond just infrastructure development.

With visionary leadership, strong community engagement, and targeted financial support, Sokoto’s AGILE initiative is reshaping the narrative of girl-child education — one student, one school, and one community at a time.