The Plateau government has awarded contracts to construct 55 new secondary schools across the state.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang disclosed this when he signed the contract documents on Wednesday in Jos.

The governor noted that the move was part of his commitment to overhauling and improving the education sector.

He explained that the projects would be implemented with the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), funded by the World Bank.

Mr Mutfwang stressed that the projects were designed to particularly empower the girl child, noting that women’s education was key to the development of the state.

”These projects, involving the construction of 35 Junior and 20 senior secondary schools, are being implemented under the AGILE project, funded by the World Bank. They are a crucial investment in improving the learning environment for our children in the state.

”We will ensure that they meet the highest standards; our supervising mechanisms will be top-notch because we want to set a precedent with this initiative. We will do this so that when the World Bank team comes for evaluation, we will not be found wanting,” Mr Mutfwang said.

The governor, who disclosed that the projects would be funded through loans, urged the contractors to adhere to set specifications strictly. He said that anyone found not doing what was expected of him  would be sanctioned.

Mohammed Nyalun, the commissioner for secondary education in the state, thanked the World Bank and the federal government for supporting education in Plateau.

According to him, the initiative is crucial to ensuring that every child in the state accesses quality education via a conducive learning environment.

Shirinkpo Maina, the project coordinator of AGILE in Plateau, noted that the projects would lay the groundwork for inclusive and quality education that sible to every child, regardless of background.

(NAN)