“About N1.8 billion has been made available to schools, which is half of what the schools will receive to ensure effective use of the funds.”
A The World BankThe Adolescent Girls Initiative for Education and Empowerment (AGILE) supported project says it will rehabilitate 614 public secondary schools to the tune of N1.8 billion in Kano State.
The Deputy Project Coordinator, Nasiru Abdullahi, disclosed this when he led other staff on a courtesy call to the Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Addo-Bayer, in Bichi on Thursday.
He said the funds have already been credited to the bank accounts of the School Management Committees (SBMCs) of the aided schools.
Mr. Abdullahi said SBMC members were trained on the importance of prioritizing the needs of their schools to achieve the desired goal.
“The SBMC committee has community and religious leaders, representatives of self-help organizations and students, among others.
“The director is the secretary of the commission who knows the school’s problems best,” he said.
According to Abdullahi, each school received an amount of money depending on the nature of the project it wanted to undertake.
“About N1.8 billion has been made available to schools, which is half of what the schools will receive to ensure that the funds are used effectively.
“Any school that finishes their project will get the balance for the rest of the project.
“The money is in the account of each of the schools that receive aid. The school will come to AGILE to get the clearance, which it will take to the bank and collect the money,” he said.
Mr Abdullahi also said other components of the project include the construction of schools where a number of secondary schools will be built in the state.
The deputy coordinator added that the project is aimed at the initial stage of the conditional cash transfer of about 38 thousand girls from poor families, and they will be trained in digital skills.
Other components, he said, include awareness and advocacy and life skills.
He said the girls would be taught skills that would help them become independent in family homes.
Therefore, he sought the support of a traditional ruler in the project.
In his speech, Mr. Addo-Bayera pledged his support and also called on stakeholders in the education sector to step up efforts to improve the capacity of teachers.
“We are not saying that construction is bad, but teachers who will impart knowledge to students need to be improved.
“We also need to recruit more teachers and train them regularly to introduce them to modern teaching methods,” he advised.
The Emir also called on people to desist from dropping girls out of school for marriage, urging girls not to drop out of secondary school.
