The Nigerian government will soon unveil a new initiative tagged “LUMINA” that would specifically address the enrolment of out-of-school girls and their skills acquisition, especially in hard-to-reach areas, as well as empower their mothers.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad stated this in Abuja, Nigeria during the re-launch of the “Madubi” project with the theme: “Empowering Girls, Transforming Communities,” under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE)
She said the new initiative like the AGILE project is to ensure that girls, in whatever location, are educated and given skills to enable them realize their dreams in life.
Ahmad, however said this could only be achieved, when stakeholders work together to challenge the barriers that stand on the way of the girls education.
“Government and other stakeholders must support the girls to actualise their dreams by making sure there was increased enrolment, retention and completion of adolescent girls’ education.
“At the ministry, we are coming up with another initiative, called ‘LUMINA’ that targets girls in hard-to-reach locations, to provide them with opportunities for education and vocational training.
“It is also for their mothers. It’s also for the adolescent girls, and girls that have dropped out of school for one reason or another.”
She said through the AGILE project opportunities are being created for the Nigerian and African girls to thrive. By addressing critical issues surrounding education, including financial, infrastructural and sociocultural constraints.
“We are laying a solid foundation for a future where every girl has the tools she needs to succeed. Today’s event is not just about celebrating our progress, but also about reinforcing our resolve to do more.
“The theme of this campaign, MUDUBI, meaning Mirror in Hausa, symbolizes reflection and transformation. It reflects the aspiration of millions of girls across Nigeria and challenges us to confront societal norms that hinder their growth. Since its inception, the Agile project has achieved remarkable milestone.
“We have improved school infrastructure, provided conditional cash transfer to support families, and delivered life skills training to empower our youth. Yet, as Nigerians, we acknowledge that our journey is far from over,” said the Minister
The National Project Coordinator of AGILE, Mrs.Amina Haruna said to ensure that the MADUBI programme relaunch gets to the target groups, various communication channels, embedding social norm messages across multiple platforms, including Radio and Television Drama Series will be used.
“Engaging storylines that will illustrate real-life challenges faced by girls in education and showcase inspiring solutions, these dramas will feature relatable characters and compelling narratives that encourage behavioural change.”
Narrating the success story, Mrs. Haruna said the AGILE project has enabled enrollment of 3.9 million girls in secondary schools across the 18 enrolling states across Nigeria. She stressed that one million girls had also graduated from skills and digital literacy acquisition training under the AGILE project.
According to her, the programme has equally constructed and completed over 200 Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, and renovated 8,800 WASH/toilet facilities with boreholes and solar facilities.
“More than 460,949 furnitures have been provided. AGILE has recruited and deployed 16,232 teachers with 50 per cent of these figures being female.
“53,491 teaching and learning materials were also provided to Schools for effective and efficient teaching and learning.
‘Schools under AGILE intervention have also developed entrepreneurial skills by setting up small-scale businesses in fish ponds, and livestock as part of climate change to generate income for them,” she said
The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, Aisha Garba said the relaunch of the MADUBI campaign is based on the understanding that investment in girls’ education unlock not only their potential but the potential of an entire nation
She said the AGILE project stands as a testament to the nation’s shared resolve and commitment to bridge the inequities in access for school-aged children, especially adolescent girls.
“Together, we must continue to prioritize inclusive and gender-responsive education policies that ensure no child is left behind.
“This includes not only improving the physical infrastructure of schools but also investing in teacher training, creating safe learning environments, and introducing flexible learning models that cater to children who have been excluded from traditional schooling.
“Together, we can transform the education landscape in Nigeria, empower the next generation of girls, and build a brighter, more prosperous future for all,” she said.
The World Bank Representative at the MADUBI relaunch, Tina George said the AGILE programme is a 1.2 billion dollar project aimed at reshaping the future of the Nigerian girl and the nation in general.
“Agile is a 1.2 billion U.S. dollar investment in human development as a multi-sectoral programme that is implemented at the federal and state levels to provide comprehensive support to increase adolescent girls’s secondary educational attainment and empowerment.”
She added that apart from the girls, over 1.7 million boys have also benefited from the project as physical facilities and human resources are provided for both the male and female students in schools where the programme is being implemented.
The Madubi relaunch event also witnessed experts and students panel sessions as well as a poetic recitation.
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