Media and Publicity Consult (MPC) has convened a stakeholders’ meeting in Gusau to validate research findings on social norms hindering adolescent girls’ enrollment, retention, and completion of secondary education in Zamfara State.
Presenting the research findings, MPC’s Director of ICT, Hibban Buhari, highlighted key factors identified during the study, including poverty, cultural beliefs, forced marriage and lack of schools infrastructure.
He explained that the data was gathered through questionnaires administered in over 100 communities across the 14 local government areas of Zamfara by trained enumerators.
The study further recommended the use of Hausa, Fulfulde, and Arabic languages for enlightenment campaigns to ensure messages reach rural communities effectively. Radio was identified as the most effective medium for delivering such messages due to its wide reach and timeliness.
In his remarks, the lead consultant Prof. Abubakar Aliyu Liman stressed the urgent need for parents, community leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders to take active roles in addressing the challenges identified by the research. He noted that issues such as forced marriage, gender stereotypes, and lack of parental support for girls’ education could only be effectively tackled through collective action and sustained community engagement.
According to him, creating an enabling environment where adolescent girls are encouraged to stay in school is crucial for the overall development of the state.
He further emphasized on the importance of changing mindsets towards the education of girls, stating that social norms deeply rooted in tradition should evolve to meet the demands of modern society.
Prof. Liman commended participants for their commitment and valuable input during the meeting, assuring the AGILE Zamfara State Office that his team would ensure a successful completion of the assignment. He expressed optimism that the validated findings would serve as a strong foundation for designing impactful communication strategies that promote positive attitudes towards girls’ education in the state.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Suwaiba Ibrahim Barau, who represented the Commissioner, commended the AGILE initiatives for targeting women and improving educational access for adolescent girls. She noted that the program’s implementation in Zamfara was already producing positive results.
Also, the Director of Science at the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, Hajiya Zalihatu Salau, representing the Honourable Commissioner, called for the inclusion of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in the AGILE program, stressing that lack of such amenities has been a major reason some female students skip classes.
“Zamfara ranks among the top-performing states in AGILE implementation. He said that out of over 440 schools slated for renovation under the initiative, covering both formal and non-formal institutions, 317 had been completed and 8,225 adolescent girls are currently benefiting from the conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiatives.” – Dr Dalhatu
Giving an overview of the AGILE program in Zamfara, the Deputy State Project Coordinator, Dr. Salisu Dalhatu, representing the State Programme Coordinator, disclosed that Zamfara ranks among the top-performing states in AGILE implementation. He said that out of over 440 schools slated for renovation under the initiative, covering both formal and non-formal institutions, 317 had been completed and 8,225 adolescent girls are currently benefiting from the conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiatives recently launched by HE Governor Dauda Lawal.
The meeting brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including academics, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organizations, journalists, and both retired and serving permanent secretaries.
MPC’s Managing Director, Nasiru Usman Biyabiki, explained that the validation meeting was organized to review and refine the research findings based on stakeholders’ feedback. He added that awareness campaigns conducted so far were already yielding results, contributing to Zamfara’s position among the top five performing states in AGILE implementation in Nigeria.
