From Emmanuel Onwusoro, Ado-Ekiti
Against the background of giving vent to girl-child education, the Ekiti State government has commenced the renovation and rehabilitation of 203 public secondary schools under the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.
The State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, during a tour of the projects sites in the three senatorial districts of the state, said the programme was part of the commitments of the state Governor, Dr. Biodun Oyebanji, towards improving the education sector to ensure salutary teaching and learning environment.
He explained that the initiative will
foster secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 20 in tandem with the human capital development agenda of the administration and the vision of shared prosperity. According to him,”it will also.address constraints the girl-child faces in attending or completing secondary school.“
Olatunbosun further remarked that the programme will improve existing infrastructural facilities in secondary schools to accommodate rising level in girls’ enrollment and transition into secondary schools.
He highlighted the projects to include renovation and upgrading of classroom blocks, laboratories, libraries, ICT rooms, perimeter fencing, procurement of school furniture as well as construction of toilets and sanitation facilities.
He identified categories of the intervention as upgrading of infrastructure, procurement of furniture, construction of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities with separate toilets and boreholes for boys and girls.
Other areas of intervention are construction of perimeter fencing, purchase of laboratory equipment, purchase of equipment for the ICT laboratory, provision of Solar power system, smartboards for teaching and distribution of 910 laptops to students in 35 schools.
