Undoubtedly, one of the most successful World Bank Projects in Nigeria is the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) which has carried out various interventions in the education of adolescent girls in seven Nigerian states of Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Borno, Ekiti and Plateau. 

The World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education selected these states after carefully considering key indices on enrollment, transitition and completion of school among female children in the states. They also considered the existence of enabling policies on girl child  education as well as the states’ commitment to improving girls child education.

The implementation of the project was particularly successful in Katsina State where the components of the project were executed to the satisfaction of stakeholders in the project implementation. The components which are 'Creating Safe and Accessible Learning Spaces', 'Fostering an Enabling Environment for Girls' and 'Project Management and System Strengthening' were all implemented with the full involvement of stakeholders that include parents, education managers at state and local government levels, and the communities.

The first component, 'Creating Safe and Accessible Learning Spaces', is aimed at addressing infrastructural constraints to girl child education. It entails the construction of new classrooms, technically referred to as climate-smart infrastructure; expanding existing primary and Junior Secondary Schools which also included Senior Secondary Schools, and providing key equipment needed to facilitate smooth teaching and learning in schools.

This component of the AGILE project also entails the rehabilitation of dilapidated classrooms and other school facilities as well as the provision of teaching and learning materials to make schools functional, safe, inclusive, and more conducive to teaching and learning. Similarly, it entails fostering an enabling environment and galvanizing support for girl child education as well as empowering families, communities, and schools by addressing constraints of demand to girls' participation in education.

Data released by the AGILE implementation office in Katsina indicate that so far, from the commencement of the product implementation to date, a total of 75 Junior and senior secondary schools have been constructed under the project. This includes 45 Junior Secondary Schools and 30 Senior Secondary Schools across the state. 

Similarly, a total of 810 classes were constructed which have the capacity to accommodate 32,400 students. This is besides the construction of 600 toilets and provision of 10,800 classroom chairs and tables for students and 750 chairs and tables for teachers.

In terms of renovation of school infrastructure, from the commencement of the project to date, a total of 5,286 toilets were renovated while 718 new toilets were constructed in the renovated schools. Likewise 3,209 classrooms were renovated. 

The renovation of the classrooms entails the construction of new floors, ceilings, windows, doors, chairs, tables, varendars, teachers' offices, stores, libraries, laboratories and other essential classroom infrastructure. In the renovated schools, 267 new classrooms were constructes to accommodate more students in anticipation of improved enrollment among school age female children. 

Similarly, 404 boreholes and water points were constructed in the renovated schools while 258 other boreholes and water points were renovated in the schools. This goes a long way in making the schools conducive for teaching and learning as it improves water sanitation and hygiene and contributed as a pull factor to encourage school enrolment and retention for girls.

The interventions were carried out in four stages which include the provision of a small grant of between N3.7 million to N6 million given to 578 secondary schools, a large grant of N23.1 million given to 188 secondary schools and a mega grant of N100 million which was given to 300 secondary schools in the state.

A document from the Katsina State AGILE Project office explains that “the first intervention was the small grant which ranges between $8,000, $12,000 and $16,000 given to schools to improve toilet facilities and ensure adequate supply of potable water in schools with the ultimate aim of making the school environment more convenient for the girl child". It notes that “a total of 578 junior and senior secondary schools received this grant which was deposited in the bank accounts of the School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) which carried out the projects under prescribed standards to ensure maximum transparency.

Each community, through the SBMC, came up with a school improvement plan which detailed the peculiar areas of need in each school, based on which the projects were carried out in the schools. The projects were carried out under an indemnity agreement to ensure accountability on the part of the School-based Management Committees.

Still under the 'Creating Safe and Accessible Learning Spaces' implementation component, the large grant was given to 188 secondary schools as each school received $60,000 which was an equivalent of N23.1 million as at the time the SBMCs received the funds. Schools that received the grant have a minimum population of over 400 students including females and the schools were selected across the 34 Local Government Areas of the state.

Newly Constructed Schools

- Number of Schools: 75 (JSS 45 & SSS 30)  

- Number of Classes: 810  

- Number of Students Accommodated: 32,400 (#40 per class)  

- Number of Toilets: 600 (#8 per school)  

- Number of Student Chairs: 10,800  

- Number of Teacher Chairs: 750  

Renovation

- Number of Toilets Renovated: 5,286  

- Number of Newly Constructed Toilets: 718  

- Number of Renovated Classrooms: 3,209  

- Number of Newly Constructed Classrooms: 267  

- Number of Newly Constructed Boreholes/Water Points: 404  

- Number of Renovated Boreholes/Water Points: 258 

School Under AGILE Katsina state