Kogi State Government, through the Adolescents Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, has flagged off a major empowerment programme targeting no fewer than 13,500 adolescent girls in public secondary schools across the state.
The State Coordinator of AGILE Ahmed Tijani Oricha stated this during a courtesy visit to the Obaro of Kabba Kabba, His Royal Majesty Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi, ahead of the flag off of the Training programme on Safe Spaces for Adolescent Girls in the state.
Oricha informed the royal father that the training programme marked the commencement of a state-wide rollout across the three senatorial districts of Kogi East, Central, and West in a bid to confer community ownership of the programme on the people of the state.
He noted that the initiative seeks to create opportunities for young girls by building their moral capacity and reducing barriers to continued education.
He explained that the project has two core components which are Life Skills Training that will provide girls with values-based learning in safe spaces, and Conditional Cash Transfers, which will provide financial incentives to encourage school attendance and completion.
Oricha further noted that the Life Skills Training will teach adolescents girls values and provide them a safe space, while the Conditional Cash Transfer will give cash gifts of up to 60,000 to about 13,500 girls to encourage school attendance.
He emphasized that empowering young girls is central to the overall development of society, stating that no woman must be left behind due to barriers to education because of the important role of women in nation building.
Similarly, a member of the AGILE Team Leadership, Elder Titus Adekunle, applauded the transparency and broad-based approach of the initiative, noting that the participation of civil society groups and local communities are important ingredients of the project’s success
“This project has touched the heart of virtually everyone involved. The team is committed to delivering results that will benefit all Kogites,” he stated.
In his remarks, the Obaro of Kabba commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for initiating a transformative and inclusive programme that puts the girl-child at the centre of development.
He urged stakeholders, traditional rulers, and community leaders to cooperate with the AGILE implementation team to ensure the success of the project, describing it as “a programme whose impact will shape the future of many families.”
“We are happy with what the government is doing. Members of the delegation, we wish you well. Continue to cooperate with one another for the success of this project,” he said.
