By Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government has commenced the upgrading of 56 schools across the state as part of efforts to strengthen access to quality education and improve learning outcomes.
The multimillion-naira projects, being executed under the Adolescents Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, are expected to be completed within one year.
The project sites were officially handed over to contractors on Tuesday at various locations across the state.
Speaking during the handover ceremonies, the Component Lead 1.2 of the AGILE Project, Engineer Zayyanu Almu Alkanchi, disclosed that 28 primary schools would be upgraded to Junior Secondary Schools, while another 28 Junior Secondary Schools would be elevated to Senior Secondary School status.
According to him, each of the 56 schools will be equipped with a block of four laboratories for Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Computer Science to enhance science and technology education.
He added that the schools would also receive a block of 12 classrooms, multipurpose halls, solar-powered boreholes and 14 toilet facilities, comprising seven units each for male and female students.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Muhammadu Chika, urged beneficiary schools to protect the facilities from vandalism and ensure proper maintenance upon completion.
He said the initiative was designed to boost student enrolment, retention and overall access to education in the state.
Chika further called on contractors handling the projects to adhere strictly to approved specifications and complete the work within the stipulated timeframe.
The President of the Sokoto State chapter of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Alhaji Muhammadu Iklilu, commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu for prioritising the education sector over the past three years.
He, however, urged school administrators to closely monitor the projects to ensure contractors deliver quality work and avoid substandard execution.
Representatives of the contracting firms assured stakeholders of their commitment to delivering the projects in line with contractual specifications, while principals and officials of the School-Based Management Committees pledged to monitor implementation and ensure quality standards are maintained.
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