The Kano State Government is to construct 130 new schools in rural areas to improve girls-child education under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.

The AGILE programme supported by the World Bank, aims to enhance secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between 10 to 20-years.

Dr. Haruna Ali-Makoda, the state Commissioner for Education, made the disclosure during an advocacy visit to the Emir of Karaye in Kano.

He noted that the schools would be built in hard-to-reach communities where girls had to walk long distances to access education.

“Under Kano AGILE, 10 schools, including the Tudun Maliki Special Education School, were upgraded to provide better facilities and a conducive learning atmosphere,” he said.

Ali-Makoda noted that over 18,000 girls across 100 schools equipped with computers, solar panels and other remote learning tools, benefited from digital literacy training.

He described the traditional institution as partners in progress and appealed for the emirate council’s support to achieve the desired objectives.

“Your highness, we are here to seek for blessings and cooperation as we cannot achieve success without collaborating with our royal fathers” Ali-Makoda said

Responding, the Emir of Karaye, Alhaji Muhammad Maharazu, described girls’ education as the backbone of meaningful societal development.

“Karaye Emirate will support the initiative through sensitization and enlightenment to address misconceptions surrounding the AGILE programme,” he pledged

Maharazu urged relevant stakeholders to contribute their quota by ensuring enrollment, retention and completion of girls’ education for the development of the state and Nigeria in general.

“Traditional Institutions have a vital role to play in educational development as such initiatives like AGILE will always be given the required support, “he said.

The AGILE programme operates in seven states, including Kano.