Stakeholders in Zamfara have renewed pledges to work towards addressing social norms and other barriers to girls’ access to secondary education in the state.

The religious and traditional leaders gave the assurance on Saturday at an advocacy engagement meeting on addressing social norms and other barriers to girls’ access to secondary education in Zamfara.

The meeting was organised by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank-funded project, in collaboration with Health Standard Concern Organisation (HESCO), a civil society organisation (CSO).

Speaking at the gathering, the chairman of the meeting and Emir of Kaura Namoda, Sanusi Muhammad-Asha, assured traditional leaders of their support for activities and programmes advocating girls’ education in the state.

He pledged strong support from traditional rulers for girls’ education and partnership with religious leaders, government agencies and CSOs to remove barriers and boost school enrolment in their communities.

The meeting also had in attendance Islamic scholars, a representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN), representatives of CSOs and the media.

Giving an overview of the AGILE project in Zamfara, the Deputy State AGILE coordinator, Salisu Dalhatu, said the project had recorded tremendous achievements in providing adolescent girls with educational and empowerment opportunities.

Mr Dalhatu said the major objective of the AGILE project was to improve access to secondary education for adolescent girls.

He said the meeting was in line with the project’s major objectives of addressing financial, socio-cultural and infrastructural barriers that prevent adolescent girls from attending or completing secondary school.

“The AGILE project provided opportunity for adolescent girls education in Zamfara through the construction and renovation of safe secondary school spaces.

“Providing conditional cash transfers (CCT) to vulnerable girls and girls children from less privileged families.

“We also provided computer and other items in schools across the state for delivering digital literacy and life skills training,” he said.

According to him, traditional and religious leaders had a greater role to play in changing the mindsets of people in their communities towards promoting girls’ education.

Earlier, in a welcome address, the executive director of HESCO, Abdullahi Lawali, noted that addressing the barriers to girls’ participation in education required more than government intervention or the provision of school infrastructure.

“It requires collective action, continuous community engagement and positive behavioural change, particularly at family and community levels.

“Unfortunately, many adolescent girls in our communities continue to face barriers such as poverty, negative social norms, household responsibilities, misconceptions about girls’ education, insecurity and inadequate parental support.

“These challenges affect their ability to enrol, remain in school and complete their secondary education,” he said.

The executive director appreciated the royal fathers and respected religious leaders for honouring the invitation.

“Your presence demonstrates your commitment to community development and the future of our children, particularly the girl-child,” Mr Lawali explained.

The meeting drew participants from both Islamic and Christian faiths, the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN), civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media.

(NAN)