Bauchi targets 100,000 girls for life skills programme

The Bauchi state government says it will train 102,811 girls in livelihood skills, to enhance women and girls social and economic development.

The programme would be implemented under the World Bank funded Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.

Maryam Mohammed, the Director, Syndicate in Supporting Women & Children Initiative (SISWACHI), an implementing partner, stated this at the maiden meeting of the programme, on Tuesday in Bauchi.

She said that adolescent girls would be trained under the first and second phase of the two-year project in over 100 learning spaces across the state.

The director said that 58,749 girls would empowered in 2025 with life and livelihood skills through cohorts, each designed to cover six modules.

Mohammed said that 300 guidance/counseling teachers and community mentors would be trained to facilitate smooth conduct of the exercise.

“For gender based violence, 100 primary healthcare centers were selected as referral pathways for cases in the state,” she said.

Ali Gar, the Project Coordinator, AGILE, said the life skills programme was a key component of the project aimed at supporting girls with lifetime skills.

He said the implementation of the training exercise would be articulated to meet the desired goals and ensure quality data.

Gar tasked the implementing partners to ensure that religious and community leaders were abreast with the content of the life skills curriculum.