Adolescent Girls initiative for Learning and Empowerment - AGILE Enugu

*AGILE Enugu Prepares for Major School Intervention Across State*

The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Enugu State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU), led by State Project Coordinator Hon. Dr. Ebele Georgina Chukwu Onuora, recently engaged the leadership of the Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB) to introduce the project and outline its upcoming activities.

Dr. Onuora emphasized the importance of collaboration, reminding PPSMB officials that they are key stakeholders in the initiative.

The AGILE project is set to focus on three critical areas: school renovation, provision of teaching and learning materials, and the establishment of improved WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities.
The intervention will benefit 340 senior secondary schools across all 17 local government areas of Enugu State.

During the meeting, principals were informed that AGILE teams will soon visit their schools for validation exercises and were urged to provide full cooperation to ensure the success of the project. The initiative aims to create a more conducive learning environment and improve educational outcomes for adolescent girls across the state.

Dr. Onuora reiterated that the support and active participation of all stakeholders will be pivotal to the smooth implementation and long-term impact of the AGILE project in Enugu State.

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AGILE State Project Coordinator Seeks Media Partnership to Advance Girl-Child Education, Tackle Gender-Based Violence in Enugu State.

By Offonabo Chimdike.

The State Project Coordinator of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) in Enugu State, Dr. Ebele Georgina Chukwu Onuora, has called for a stronger partnership with the media to promote girl-child education, enhance school retention, and combat gender-based violence across the state.

Dr. Onuora made the call while receiving the leadership of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Enugu State Chapter, during a courtesy visit to her office in Enugu.

Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Onuora expressed delight at the visit and described the media as a critical stakeholder in driving social change, public awareness, and behavioural transformation. She commended NAWOJ for its sustained advocacy for women, children, and the girl-child, noting that effective media engagement is essential to achieving the objectives of the AGILE Project.

She highlighted the pivotal role played by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, in attracting the AGILE Project, a World Bank-assisted initiative, to the state. According to her, the Governor’s unwavering support and commitment ensured the successful fulfilment of all onboarding requirements, enabling Enugu State to fully participate in the programme.

Dr. Onuora explained that AGILE is designed to improve access to quality secondary education, reduce dropout rates, and support the retention and completion of secondary school education, with special emphasis on adolescent girls. She noted that while the project accommodates both girls and boys, its primary focus remains on keeping the girl-child in school and empowering her to reach her full potential.

She further stated that the project supports participating secondary schools with learning materials, teaching aids, and infrastructural improvements, while also implementing programmes aimed at addressing barriers to girls’ education, including poverty, menstrual hygiene challenges, early marriage, and gender-based violence.

According to her, AGILE has also partnered with reputable non-governmental organisations to carry out advocacy and sensitisation campaigns across various local government areas of the state. These activities include community engagement, school outreach programmes, and the distribution of essential items such as menstrual cups and school bags to students, aimed at promoting dignity, attendance, and sustained participation in school.

Dr. Onuora stressed that strategic collaboration with the media would help amplify these interventions, deepen public understanding of girl-child education issues, and mobilise community support against practices that undermine the rights and wellbeing of girls.

Earlier in her remarks, the Enugu State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Mrs. Ngozi Ngene, said the visit was aimed at strengthening institutional partnership with AGILE and exploring areas of collaboration in advocacy, public enlightenment, and programme visibility.
She explained that NAWOJ, with a membership strength of about 160 female journalists drawn from print, broadcast, and online media organisations in the state, is committed to promoting the rights and welfare of women, children, and the girl-child through conventional and digital media platforms.
Mrs. Ngene noted that the association organises various programmes during its annual August Meeting, including health talks, menstrual hygiene education, and digital skills training, while also holding monthly meetings focused on members’ welfare and capacity building. She expressed NAWOJ’s readiness to support AGILE’s goals through sustained media coverage and advocacy.

The visit featured the presentation of NAWOJ’s mandate document and a branded T-shirt to Dr. Onuora, in recognition of the shared commitment between AGILE and NAWOJ to promoting girl-child education, combating gender-based violence, and advancing the welfare of women and girls in Enugu State.

Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Employment AGILE Enugu on an inspection/Accessment tour to Secondary Schools to ascertain their areas of need for school improvement.

The Unit visited Iva Valley and Trans Ekulu Girls Secondary Schools and the school communities welcomed us with open arms,they took the unit on a school tour to see things by themselves.

*AGILE, NPIU Train Enugu, Delta, Taraba on Effective Project Implementation*

_By Offonabo Chimdike_

A two-day virtual training organised by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Employment (AGILE) Project, Enugu State, in collaboration with the National Project Implementation Unit (NPIU), Abuja, has equipped State Project Implementation Units (SPIUs) in Enugu, Delta and Taraba States with critical administrative, financial and operational skills for effective project delivery.

The training, facilitated by World Bank resource persons, focused on strengthening project coordination, procurement, and accounting and financial management, while clarifying the roles and responsibilities of key officers. Participants were also guided on compliance with World Bank guidelines and standards to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency in project implementation.

It marked the first formal in-house engagement between the NPIU and the SPIUs since the onboarding exercise held in Abuja last year. Owing to their late entry into the programme, Enugu, Delta and Taraba States were assigned Component 1.2 of the AGILE Project Implementation Manual as their entry point into the initiative.

Component 1.2 centres on the provision of School Improvement Grants (SIGs) to enhance infrastructure in public secondary schools through School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs). The grants were explained under three categories—small, medium and large—covering interventions such as water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, classroom rehabilitation and construction, furniture, and teaching and learning materials, based on school population.

Participants were further briefed on implementation procedures, including the development and approval of School Improvement Plans, World Bank “No Objection” requirements, tranche-based fund disbursement, and potential implementation challenges. The training, which ran daily from noon to 3:00 pm, had full participation from all SPIUs, with the Enugu State team led by the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Ebele Georgina Onuora. The NPIU assured states of continued capacity-building support to ensure successful implementation and access to additional AGILE project components.

*AGILE Visit Highlights Urgent Needs at Enugu Special Education Centre*

_By Offonabo Chimdike_

“AGILE is committed to creating safe learning spaces and providing adequate learning materials for students across Enugu State,” Engr. Alex Ugwunnadi, the Comp 1.2 Lead, stated recently during an introductory meeting with the management of the Special Education Centre, Ogbete Coal Camp. His remarks set the tone for a comprehensive inspection and needs assessment carried out by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank–funded project implemented with full support of the Enugu State Government.

Following Ugwunnadi’s briefing, the school’s Administrator, Mrs. Oba Zita, welcomed the AGILE team and expressed appreciation for the visit. She acknowledged the state government’s ongoing assistance, particularly in feeding students and covering utilities, but highlighted pressing challenges that hinder effective teaching and learning. The centre, which accommodates both primary and secondary students with hearing and speech impairments, operates within a single compound, presenting unique infrastructural and safety concerns.

During the assessment, the school management reported the absence of a functional water source after the failure of its submersible pump, forcing reliance on tanker deliveries twice monthly. They also cited a shortage of specialised resource teachers, persistent flooding that weakens the perimeter fence, and classrooms lacking doors and windows—conditions that allow rainwater to seep in during storms. Non-functional WASH facilities further compound the learning difficulties faced by students.

AGILE’s field observations confirmed extensive environmental challenges, including overgrown grasses around the compound and entrance that have led to snake sightings. The team also flagged potential protection risks as primary and secondary learners, including boarders, occupy the same premises. While the school maintains strict discipline and reports harmonious coexistence among students due to their shared disabilities, the assessment recommended clearer separation of school sections and boarding areas to reduce exposure to abuse or gender-based violence.

The inspection concluded with a clear list of priority needs, including classroom renovation, restoration of WASH facilities, provision of a reliable water source, installation of solar power systems and streetlights, recruitment of additional resource teachers, and sustained environmental sanitation. AGILE further recommended conducting a geophysical survey to address long-term water solutions and supplying essential learning materials such as laboratory equipment, smart boards, charts, geoboards, and atlases—interventions expected to significantly improve the learning environment and safety of students with hearing and speech impairments.

ENUGU STATE FORMALLY ONBOARDED INTO THE ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ INITIATIVE FOR LEARNING AND EMPOWERMENT (AGILE) WORLD BANK–ASSISTED PROJECT

Enugu State has taken a major leap forward in its drive to strengthen education, empower adolescents, and accelerate human capital development as it is officially onboarded into the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) World Bank–assisted project currently transforming the educational landscape across Nigeria.

This milestone was made possible through the visionary leadership and decisive actions of His Excellency, Barr. (Dr.) Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, Executive Governor of Enugu State. His Excellency ensured that all prerequisites were met most notably the prompt payment of the State’s counterpart fund, a critical requirement that unlocked Enugu’s full eligibility to join other high-performing states implementing the AGILE project.

His commitment reaffirms his long-held belief that education is the strongest tool for prosperity, productivity, and social advancement, and that no child in Enugu State should be denied access to world-class learning opportunities.

The Enugu State Project Coordinator of AGILE, Dr. Ebele Georgina Chukwu Onuora, expressed profound appreciation to the Governor for his strategic guidance and support, noting that the onboarding marks a new chapter in the State’s journey toward expanding access to safe, inclusive, and equitable secondary education.
AGILE: A Transformative Investment in Adolescents
AGILE is a transformative national initiative designed to address the barriers both supply-side and demand-side that prevent adolescents from enrolling, transitioning, and completing secondary school. By joining AGILE, Enugu State becomes part of a federal coalition championing educational reforms that uplift communities and equip young people with skills for the future.
The project focuses on expanding access, improving infrastructure, strengthening safety, and empowering adolescents to thrive academically, socially, and economically.
Leadership, Vision, and Commitment
Enugu State’s onboarding reflects the Governor’s unwavering dedication to educational excellence. Under his administration, the State has continued to prioritize investments in modern learning environments, digital innovations, community engagement, and systemic reforms that prepare young people for a competitive global economy.

This bold step underscores His Excellency’s conviction that every adolescent in Enugu must have the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of gender, location, or socioeconomic background.
What AGILE Brings to Enugu State
Through the World Bank–supported AGILE program, Enugu State will benefit from a wide range of strategic interventions.
• Upgrading School Infrastructure
• Construction of new classrooms
• Renovation and rehabilitation of existing school structures
• Installation and improvement of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities
Comprehensive enhancement of safety and learning environments
• Provision of Teaching and Learning Resources
• Supply of essential instructional and learning materials
• Deployment of digital learning tools
• Strengthened teaching standards through technology and resource availability
3. Empowerment of Adolescents
• Life-skills education for building confidence and leadership
• Behaviour-change and social norm shifting campaigns
• Digital literacy and 21st-century skills development
• Capacity-building to strengthen parental and community engagement
4. Strengthened School Safety Systems
• Enhanced protection mechanisms for learners
• Safe spaces and interventions to ensure students can attend and remain in school without fear or barriers
A Milestone for Human Capital Transformation
The onboarding of Enugu State into AGILE signals a defining moment in the State’s broader education reform agenda. It aligns with the government’s commitment to:
• Increasing access to inclusive education
• Reducing dropout and out-of-school rates
• Strengthening gender equality and social inclusion
• Ensuring adolescents with disabilities have equal access to opportunities
This development positions Enugu State as a leading player in the national drive to build a resilient, skilled, and empowered generation.
Looking Ahead
The AGILE-Enugu implementation team is committed to delivering results that reflect the Governor’s vision of a modern, globally competitive education system. The project envisions a future where adolescents are not only in school but are safe, supported, and equipped to excel.
With this onboarding, Enugu State stands ready to become a model of educational advancement, gender empowerment, and human capital investment in Nigeria.

Offonabo Chimdike
Communication Officer AGILE Enugu.