The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project is making strong strides in reshaping the education landscape in Sokoto State, completing 94 out of 161 planned activities for 2025 and delivering tangible improvements in school infrastructure, learning conditions, and girls’ access to education.
Speaking at a media roundtable in Sokoto, the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Mansur Isa Buhari — represented by the Assistant System Strengthening Component Lead, Suleiman B. Musa — said the project’s interventions are already producing measurable results across the state. According to him, AGILE has so far renovated 749 classrooms and installed 214 solar-powered boreholes in 240 schools, ensuring better learning spaces and improved access to clean water.
Sanitation has also received a major boost, with 1,652 toilet units constructed across all 23 local government areas.
Environmental sustainability is another key focus. The project planted 4,480 trees in 224 schools and set up Eco Clubs in participating secondary schools to encourage environmental responsibility among students.
On expanding access to education, Dr. Buhari revealed that 16,528 adolescent girls have been enrolled under the project, just shy of the 17,000 target for 2025. To further improve classroom comfort, 11,221 desks were supplied, while 97,446 teaching and learning materials were distributed to 240 secondary schools statewide.
Capacity-building has also been central to AGILE’s work. A total of 2,240 School-Based Management Committee members have been trained on environmental management and social compliance, strengthening community involvement in school governance. Through its social protection arm, the project supported 41,821 beneficiaries with Conditional Cash Transfers aimed at easing the financial burden that keeps many girls out of school.
Dr. Buhari highlighted a major challenge in the state’s education system — while Sokoto has over 2,000 primary schools, it has fewer than 600 secondary schools. To bridge this gap, plans are underway to establish 58 additional smart secondary schools.
Providing further insight into performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Component Lead Muhammad Mainasara said the project recorded 53 per cent implementation progress in 2025. Out of the activities tracked, 78 have been completed, 16 are ongoing, one is delayed, and seven have been rescheduled, bringing total implemented activities to 94.
Component Lead Rabi Muhammad Gwadabawa praised the media’s role in public sensitisation and tackling misinformation, describing journalists as vital partners in the project’s success. She also highlighted AGILE’s Gender-Based Violence component, which delivers life-skills training through safe spaces for girls. The sessions cover communication skills, menstrual hygiene management, and early-stage climate change awareness.
She noted that AGILE aligns with national education goals by promoting inclusive access, improving learning outcomes, and empowering adolescent girls — a strategy seen as critical for long-term, sustainable development in the state.