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A major education improvement initiative is set to benefit 217 public secondary schools across Enugu State, with plans to renovate school facilities, improve sanitation and provide essential learning materials to enhance students’ academic experience.
The intervention is being implemented under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, known as AGILE, a government-led programme supported by the World Bank. Its immediate focus in Enugu is to create safer and more conducive learning environments, particularly for adolescent girls who face challenges accessing and completing their education.
The state project coordinator, Dr Ebele Georgina Chukwu-Onuora, disclosed that the programme would cover the rehabilitation of existing school infrastructure, installation or improvement of water and sanitation facilities, and distribution of textbooks and other instructional resources. She explained that inadequate toilet facilities and menstrual hygiene support can discourage girls from attending classes regularly.
According to the coordinator, officials have visited all 217 selected schools to assess their needs and identify the work required. The initiative also seeks to tackle social and cultural barriers to girls’ education through community sensitisation, advocacy and engagement with parents and traditional leaders.
Additional measures include the introduction of gender-awareness and safe-environment clubs, as well as suggestion boxes through which students can report complaints, including cases of gender-based violence. The programme also takes learners with disabilities into consideration, with three special schools included in its planning. Stakeholders have been urged to support the initiative by keeping children in school and ensuring that girls have equal opportunities to learn and succeed.
