The World Bank under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project is set to renovate 534 schools and construct 54 secondary schools across Niger State.

The renovations and constructions of schools is to address the infrastructural decay and improve enrollment of students across the State.

The AGILE Deputy Project Coordinator, Salisu Danjuma, who announced this at a one-day sensitisation workshop for Zonal Quality Assistance Officers in Minna, said that plans are on ground to give monetary incentives of N5,000 and N10,000 to vulnerable girls in seven local government areas of Niger state to enable them stay in school.

He said that the project is meant to encourage girls who would ordinarily not transist to secondary school due to financial difficulties of their families.

“We have been told that the seven most vulnerable local government areas in Niger state include Mokwa, Mariga, Rafi, Shiroro, Lavun, Lapai, and Gbako. We will start with these local government areas.

“The girls would be selected based on the background of their families. The most poorest will be the ones supported. We have started accessing the girls. They will be in cohorts.

“The girls in Junior secondary will be assisted with N5,000 every term and the girls in the senior secondary will be assisted with N10,000 every term.

“This would reduce the poverty level of the family that is preventing the girl from going to school. The incentive would allow the families to allow these girls to go to school as the money would be used to help the family. The incentive would improve the enrollment and completion of the girls secondary education,” Salisu said.