By Sule Aliyu Bauchi
In a renewed vigour to rejuvenate its education sector, Bauchi State Government has approved the implementation of 2024, 18 months procurement work plans for the implementation of Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE-AF) project in the state.
The project implementation, according to the state Commissioner of Education, Dr Jamila Mihammad Dahiru, it is borne out of the commitment of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to improve the quality of education in the state through various initiatives and projects, one of which is bringing AGILE to Bauchi State.
Dr. Jamila Dahiru said, “The 2024 – 18 months approved work plan is in the total of $41,547, 250.43 cents, which is equivalent to N49,856, 700,520 to cover the construction of 21 junior and 21 senior secondary schools, which is 45. 50 per cent of the total amount”.
“Bauchi is among the 18 states in the federation to benefit from this all important project, of the largest in Africa. A total of $1.2 billion to be expended for the implementation of the project in 18 states, and Bauchi has been earmarked $80m to be expended within the life span of the project which is five years”.
She stated, “So we presented a memo to the Executive Council on the process of implementation of the project in Bauchi, explaining that we have been able to develop our work plan for the 18 months, and got approval of the World Bank to go ahead for the implementation of the 18 months work plan”.
The Bauchi education commissioner who was briefing the press on the work plan approval shortly after meeting of the State Executive Council over the weekend, further revealed that the project also included the rehabilitation of 833 existing junior secondary schools through schools improvement grant.
“The schools improvement grant is giving emphasis to areas around safety, so wherever a school is not fencing, the grant will be used to provide fencing, provision of WASH facilities, furniture, renovation of classrooms, and so on, and do forth”, the commissioner said.
“We also mention various platforms that this schools improvement grant will also attract school enrollment. So, schools are being provided grants according to their enrollment”.
“School with 200 enrollment will have $15, 000; a school with more than 500 will have $30, 000, and this is in the total sum of $18, 092, 145. 42 cent, which is equivalent to 41 percent of the total amount”, she added.
Dr. Jamila Dahiru further stated that there is also procurement of goods and consultancy services, disbursement of Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) to help girls coming from the poorest of the poor households, and these covers about 0.94 percent of the total amount.
“There is also component for capacity building of SPIU, capacity building of teachers, provision of digital literacy skills, and resources in about 100 schools”.
The commissioner said that the Bauchi Executive Council ratified the approval of Governor Bala Mohammed because, as she puts it, Agile is one project that is being considered as one of the most innovative project, unlike other projects coming from the World Bank where a chunk of the funds going for technical support.
She said, “His Excellency has emphasized that for Agile to be implemented in Bauchi, a chunk of the funds should go for infrastructure, something visible for everyone to see, and that’s the reason why we have 84 percent of the total amount going for construction and renovation of existing schools”.
“And we are the happy state that all our junior and senior secondary schools, 1, 003 in total will receive this grant for innovation known as schools improvement grant. Another thing is that conditional cash transfer which comes in a very important area and situation placed by the World at large, not even Nigeria”.
Jamila stated, “So this project is supporting the poorest of the poor, so that girls would be able to be enrolled in schools, but most importantly, a second chance segment which is always overlook by many projects, giving chances to correct her mistake”.
“So, we are also looking for teenager or adolescent between the 15, 16 – 22 years who have missed schools and would want to be enrolled in a nine months programme for last que training so that they will also benefit from educational support, as well as entrepreneurship and empowerment programme”.
Jamila said that it is interesting to note that Governor Bala’s vision for education announced with the project allow single for learning, and so the emphasis, the commitment, and the passion to see effective implementation of the project.
