The World Bank, under its Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, has completed major interventions in Sokoto State, renovating 749 classrooms and installing 214 solar-powered boreholes across schools.
Dr. Mansur Isa-Buhari, Sokoto State’s AGILE Project Coordinator, shared these achievements during a media roundtable on Monday, highlighting the initiative’s impact on education and school infrastructure. Represented by his assistant, Suleiman Musa, Isa-Buhari said the programme focuses on enhancing learning environments and supporting adolescent girls’ enrolment and retention in secondary schools.
He noted that in 2025, 94 of the 161 planned project activities were executed, including the construction of 1,652 toilet units across all 23 local government areas to improve sanitation and hygiene in schools. Additionally, 4,480 trees were planted in 224 schools, and Eco-friendly Clubs were introduced in all participating secondary schools.
The project also enrolled 16,528 girls out of a target of 17,000 for 2025, supplied 11,221 desks, and trained 2,240 School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) members on environmental management and social compliance. A total of 97,446 teaching and learning materials were distributed, while 41,821 beneficiaries received support under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) component.
Isa-Buhari explained that Sokoto has approximately 2,000 primary and 600 secondary schools, a gap that AGILE is addressing by planning 58 additional smart secondary schools across the state.
Muhammad Mainasara, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Component Lead, reported that the project recorded 53 per cent implementation progress in 2025, with 78 activities completed, 16 ongoing, and seven rescheduled, bringing total implemented activities to 94.
Mrs. Rabi Gwadabawa, Communication Component Lead, emphasised the critical role of the media in the project, stating that public awareness and engagement have been key to AGILE’s acceptance in Sokoto State. She also highlighted the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) component, which provides life-skills training, menstrual hygiene education, and early climate change awareness to adolescent girls through safe-space initiatives.
The AGILE Project’s interventions, Isa-Buhari concluded, have significantly enhanced educational infrastructure, promoted girls’ empowerment, and supported sustainable development in Sokoto State.