Governor of Katsina State, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda has reaffirmed his preparedness to pursue the development of education in the state through a series of programmes.
The governor made the pronoucement on Wednesday when he launched the second phase disbursement of N450 million grants to 100 secondary schools under the AGILE programme which took place at the Government Day Secondary School, Doro in Bindawa local government.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, said Mallam Dikko Radda emphasized that the programme has no negative effect on the moral standard of the populace in the state and their family members.
He enjoined people in the state to resist any negative perceptions that could further make the northern region backward.
The governor said the grant released under the AGILE program is a loan payable in stipulated period of time.
He said the state government had started preparation for the second round of the construction of another 75 secondary schools in the state.
Earlier the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar Yar’adua bemoaned the report of 13.2 million school age children now out of school across the country of which about 50 percent are girls.
On her part, Hajiya Hadiza Saulawa lauded the bold steps taken by the state governor in addressing the problem in the state.
She commended stakeholders in the state for supporting the policies of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda aimed at repositioning the educational sector.
Giving an update on the AGILE programme, the Co-ordinator, Dr Mustapha Shehu, said the construction of the second phase of the remaining 75 secondary schools would commence in January 2024 and be completed in the third quarter of the year.
According to him, the girl component of AGILE program was introduced following the poverty mapping and needs assessment which discovered that economic factors hindered many parents from providing their girl child with basic educational needs and to transit to secondary schools after completing their primary education.
