AGILE, a World Bank-assisted project of the Federal Government, aims to enhance girl child education, particularly in senior secondary school.
During a visit to the Government House in Ilorin, the National Project Coordinator of the AGILE project in the Federal Ministry of Education, Hajia Aminah Haruna, acknowledged the remarkable performance of Kwara State in education quality assurance.
She praised the governor for his strong commitment and expressed appreciation for his administration's efforts in improving the education sector.
Tunde Adekola, the World Bank's Senior Education Specialist in Nigeria, also commended Governor AbdulRazaq for his dedication to education. He confirmed that Kwara State is now eligible for the AGILE project and stated that negotiations would commence after the appraisal mission.
Adekola emphasised the importance of the project in providing resources for classroom construction and rehabilitation, digital literacy, girls' empowerment, and more. He acknowledged the governor's contributions to the project and the positive impact of the administration's efforts in basic education.
The Kwara State Project Coordinator, Adesina Salami, attributed the successful enrollment of the state into the AGILE project to Governor AbdulRazaq's love for education and commitment to its development. Salami highlighted the project's objective of reintegrating out-of-school females into the education system and empowering them to transcend beyond secondary education.
Governor AbdulRazaq acknowledged the challenges faced by the education sector and outlined the steps taken by his administration to address them. He mentioned the efforts made to improve infrastructure, digital literacy, and teacher training across the state.
The governor pledged to increase budgetary provisions for education and prioritise the sector's development. He also highlighted Kwara State's pioneering role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which guarantees 35% political appointments for women.
The AGILE project's aid is seen as an opportunity to expand the government's ongoing initiatives and further address the issues of girls' education and out-of-school children. Governor AbdulRazaq emphasised the importance of SDG 5 and the gradual progress being made to ensure gender equality in political representation.
He expressed optimism that the AGILE project would contribute to achieving the SDG targets and empower the girl child in Kwara State.