The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in Nasarawa State is preparing to enroll 19,500 out-of-school adolescent girls as the programme moves into its second year of implementation under Cohort Two.
The expansion plan was highlighted during a one-day strategic planning meeting focused on Alternative Education Component 2.2c, formerly known as Second Chance Education. The meeting brought together officials from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, facilitators from Adult and Non-Formal Education Centres, the Non-Governmental Association for Literacy Support Services (NOGALSS), members of the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU), and other key partners.
Under the new phase, AGILE will increase the number of learning centres across the state to 100, while also introducing vocational and livelihood skills training to strengthen economic opportunities for participants.
Speaking during the session, the Project Coordinator, Hajiya Aishatu Aliyu Isoga, said the programme is focused on giving adolescent girls who are out of school a second chance through practical education and life-building skills.
“Component 2.2c is designed to provide functional literacy, numeracy and life skills through Adult Education Centres across the state,” she explained. “As we move into Cohort Two, we are expanding our reach so that more girls can benefit from these opportunities.”
According to the roadmap presented during the meeting, the project will establish 80 additional centres, increasing the total number of centres statewide to 100. Each centre is expected to host an average of 195 learners, leading to the projected enrollment of 19,500 girls.
Mallam Hassan Abdullahi, Component Lead for Alternative Education (2.2c), described the upcoming expansion as a major step toward widening access to inclusive education in the state.
“The Year Two roadmap focuses on scaling the programme to reach more communities. With 100 centres and nearly twenty thousand learners expected, the impact will be significantly larger than what we recorded in the first year,” he said.
A one-year progress report presented by Mallam Ibrahim Samaila, Lead Consultant with NOGALSS, showed that the programme has already produced encouraging outcomes for beneficiaries.
“The project has transformed the lives of many participants, especially adolescent girls who now have opportunities to gain practical life skills that support self-reliance,” he noted.
He added that participants have also benefited from improved awareness in areas such as health, education and economic empowerment.
The Director of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Mallam Mohammed Audu, commended the AGILE initiative for supporting government efforts to address educational gaps.
“Our learners are eager for the rollout of the vocational and livelihood skills programme, and its timely implementation will further strengthen the impact of this initiative,” he said.
