The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has publicly praised Kebbi State for achieving remarkable progress in girls' education, reporting a significant 20 per cent decline in the number of girls abandoning their studies.
NANS Commends Educational Transformation
In a statement released on Sunday, November 9, 2025, NANS National Sports Director, Comrade Haruna Tijjani, highlighted the state's outstanding performance under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE). He confirmed that more than 20,000 schoolgirls in Kebbi have benefited from financial assistance, a key factor in keeping them enrolled.
The AGILE project is a Federal Government programme supported by the World Bank and managed by the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) of the Federal Ministry of Education. Its goal is to boost fair access to quality education for adolescent girls through multiple strategies.
Massive Infrastructure and Community Development
Tijjani lauded the State Project Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Haido, for his leadership, describing the initiative as one of northern Nigeria's most inspiring education success stories.
The project's impact in Kebbi is substantial:
- 303 schools have been upgraded across the state.
- 1,387 classrooms have been delivered, comprising 1,339 renovated and 48 newly constructed.
- Over 7,000 additional projects, including perimeter fencing, hostels, and skills acquisition centres, have been finished in all 21 Local Government Areas.
- To improve the learning environment, more than 40,000 classroom furniture sets have been provided.
- 1,336 WASH facilities, such as toilets and boreholes, have been installed.
- Construction is ongoing for 30 new junior and 18 new senior secondary schools.
- Furthermore, 75 primary schools have been upgraded to junior secondary level, and 45 junior schools have transitioned to senior secondary.
Training and Community Engagement Yield Results
Beyond infrastructure, the programme focuses on empowerment and changing social norms. Over 2,000 teachers have received training on gender-sensitive teaching methods. Traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community influencers have been actively engaged to champion the cause of girls' education.
The comprehensive approach has produced impressive outcomes. According to Tijjani, girls' enrolment has surged by 40 per cent, while learning outcomes in key subjects like Mathematics and English have improved by 30 per cent.
He urged other states to adopt Kebbi's successful model, emphasizing its profound long-term social and economic benefits for the region and the country. The AGILE project is currently active in 18 states across Nigeria.
