The Plateau State Government has officially launched the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment project at the Government House Jos.
The state’s Project Coordinator of AGILE, Mr Dachung Thomas, said the project was aimed at creating new safe learning spaces by renovating and rehabilitating secondary schools.
He said the state would construct nine classrooms for junior secondary schools and 12 classrooms for senior secondary schools.
“In Plateau, 55 sites have been identified for interventions, comprising 35 primary schools to be upgraded to JSS and 20 JSS to be upgraded to SSS.
“The 35 JSS (sites), when completed, will provide 350 classrooms, 490 toilets and accommodate 14,000 pupils, while the 20 SSS (sites) will provide 240 classrooms, 20 multipurpose halls, 20 admin blocks, 20 science labs, 20 computer rooms, 280 toilets and will accommodate 9,600 pupils,’’ Thomas added.
He said 160 teachers and pupils would be trained in digital skills across the 17 councils as master trainers while 15,587 pupils would also be trained across 36 senior secondary schools.
He said ICT gadgets with Internet connectivity would be procured and distributed to 80 selected SSS pupils.
A former governor, Simon Lalong, had said the project would augment government efforts in the educational sector, particularly the training of adolescent girls in Plateau.
He urged adolescent girls to maximise the opportunities to build capacities toward becoming great women in the future.
“Under this administration, education has been taken seriously, hence, the renovation of all public junior and senior secondary schools under the School Improvement Grants of the AGILE project,” the ex-governor said.
“I call on parents to ensure they give their girl-children the requisite education; the resources are now available, grab them and utilise them. Be great ambassadors of the AGILE project,” Lalong said.
