The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Additional Financing (AGILE-AF), in partnership with the Adamawa State Ministry of Education, is training 2,112 school principals and counsellors on grievance redress mechanisms.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training in Yola on Thursday, Dr Garba Pella, Commissioner for Education, Adamawa, encouraged participants to actively engage in the initiative to ensure its successful rollout across the state.
Pella, represented by Mr Yakubu Alhassan, the Director of Administration in the ministry, highlighted that education remained top priority for the current administration.
“Since the start of this government, education has been made free, and the state continues to fund WAEC and NECO exams to allow students to advance their studies,” he stated.
He emphasised that the role of the participants was to provide guidance and support, not conflict.
“You are here to receive training on effective communication and grievance redress.
“It is essential that you implement the skills you acquire during this session,” Pella added.
He urged the participants to make the most of the opportunity, ensuring the knowledge gained would lead to successful implementation of the project.
Mr Emmanuel Erimen, the National Officer for the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), expressed his satisfaction with the turnout, stating that Adamawa was well-prepared for the AGILE project.
Erimen, also an Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Education, called for cooperation and active participation to ensure the training sessions were engaging and productive.
Mr Saddiki Liman, the AGILE Project Coordinator, noted that the training was being conducted simultaneously across five educational zones in the state.
The educational zones include Ganye, Gombi, Mubi, Numan, and Yola, and two participants – the principal and counsellor, were selected from each of the 1,056 secondary schools in the state.
Liman explained that the purpose of the training was to equip participants with the necessary skills to handle grievances, particularly in cases involving gender-based violence (GBV) and other related issues within their schools.
Also speaking, Ms Lidia Maajam, the AGILE team lead for Adamawa, stressed the importance of the training, urging participants to promptly address any challenges that might arise, to ensure the project remained effective.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr Barnabas Jolly, expressed gratitude for the training and assured that the skills acquired would be applied to foster peace and understanding within their schools. (NAN)
