Toba Owojaiye Reporting
The World Bank has given the green light for a $700 million loan to Nigeria, as announced on September 22 in a statement on their website. This loan is designated to bolster an ongoing initiative called the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment. The primary aim of this program is to enhance secondary education opportunities for girls in specific regions.
The additional funding will extend the project’s reach from seven states to eleven, encompassing out-of-school girls, married girls, and those with disabilities as beneficiaries. In the seven states where the AGILE program has been active—Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau—the number of girls attending secondary schools has surged from approximately 900,000 to over 1.6 million.
Under the AGILE initiative, more than 5,000 classrooms have been refurbished, and more than 250,000 eligible girls have been awarded scholarships. The program has also supported the improvement of school facilities and the installation of computers and solar panels, enhancing the learning environment for both girls and boys. Furthermore, it encompasses life skills development, system strengthening, and advocacy efforts to overcome social barriers to girls’ education.
Shubham Chaudhuri, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, emphasized the significance of bridging gender gaps in economic empowerment through education for girls. He highlighted the pivotal role girls’ education plays in Nigeria’s development and economic growth, given the country’s youthful and expanding workforce.
Beyond benefiting girls, this financing will impact over 15 million students, educators, families, communities, and school staff in both existing and newly constructed schools.
The loan approval has raised a public outcry and calls for the government to focus on more expedient matters like fixing our refinery.