The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), in collaboration with the Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education, Niger State, has organised a one-day capacity-building workshop on Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), designed for school desk officers.

The workshop was held at Teachers House, Tunga Goro, Minna, and had in attendance 302 school desk officers, representing 151 schools from seven local government areas (LGA) Chanchaga, Bosso, Paikoro, Shiroro, Munya, Rafi and Wushishi.
In her keynote address, the Coordinator of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Niger State, Hajiya Maimuna Ibrahim Tahir, noted that the workshop was aimed at equipping the participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to effectively manage and respond to grievances and cases of gender-based violence in their respective schools.

The AGILE boss added, “We believe that by strengthening your capacity, we can collectively create a culture of zero tolerance for gender-based violence and promote a safer and supportive learning environment for all.”

Tahir, who spoke through the Deputy Coordinator of AGILE, Salisu Danjuma, promised that the agency is committed to supporting the school desk officers in their critical role and to ensuring that schools across the state are free from gender-based violence.

She explained that the workshop was organized in seven cluster local councils simultaneously, which include Minna, Suleja, Bida, Lapai, Lavun, Kontagora and Borgu, respectively.

Tahir maintained that after the workshop, it is expected that the AGILE project will take a peaceful and successful approach.

She hinted that AGILE is a World Bank-assisted project with some major components, which include providing a learning environment, fostering an enabling environment for girls, provision of ICT skills, provision of scholarships to girls, system strengthening, project management, teacher employment, and teacher capacity building, among others, in order to enhance the sustainability of the project.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Niger State, Dr. Hadiza Asabe Mohammed, expressed delight over the large turnout of the participants and enjoined them to pay adequate attention during the technical session.

The Commissioner was represented by the Director General of Schools Reform, Hajiya Maimuna Mohammed, who said that as teachers, they are closer to the school children and play a vital role in the educational development of school children.

Dr. Hadiza assured of her Ministry’s support for AGILE in order to achieve optimal success in all the components of the project aimed at improving the standard of education.

She lauded the State Coordinator and her management team for initiating the capacity-building workshop for teachers, saying it would enhance their capacity to effectively discharge their responsibilities.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Adamu Akayago, disclosed that for decades, the majority of schools in the state have been dilapidated, begging for government attention.
He added that Governor Umaru Bago’s administration has worked out all the necessary modalities to commence the rehabilitation of schools across the three senatorial districts of the state.