The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Taraba State, has commemorated the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) with a renewed call for greater investment in girls’ education, empowerment, life skills and safe spaces to protect them from child marriage and other forms of abuse.
The event, held at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Nyamusala, Jalingo, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, was themed “Empowering Adolescent Girls through Education, Life Skills and Safe Spaces to End Child Marriage in Nigeria.”
Speaking at the event, the State Project Coordinator of AGILE Taraba State, Mr Godlove Jacob Yumbak, expressed profound appreciation to His Excellency, Dr Agbu Kefas, Governor of Taraba State, for his support and unwavering commitment to ensuring that the AGILE project becomes a reality in the state.
Mr Yumbak noted that the initiative provides a strategic platform to advocate for girls’ education, promote empowerment opportunities, establish safe spaces and advance the numerous benefits of the project for adolescent girls and communities across Taraba State.
He explained that the project was designed to address barriers affecting girls’ education and development while encouraging families, communities and relevant institutions to create an enabling environment where girls can enrol in school, remain in school and complete their education.
The State Project Coordinator also expressed gratitude to the Honourable Commissioner for Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education, Dr Augustina Godwin; the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Idris A. Goje; and other critical stakeholders whose support and collaboration facilitated the onboarding of AGILE in Taraba State.
He emphasized that the collective commitment of government officials, education stakeholders, religious leaders, school administrators and development partners would be essential to achieving the project’s objectives and ensuring sustainable outcomes for adolescent girls.
The commemoration marked the first public activity through which AGILE Taraba State formally showcased its interventions and engagement with stakeholders, providing an opportunity to demonstrate the project’s approach to improving girls’ access to education, life skills and protection.
Highlights of the event included an educational debate among participating students, designed to stimulate critical thinking and encourage discussions on issues affecting adolescent girls, as well as an exhibition of AGILE stalls showcasing key intervention areas.
The exhibition featured Safe Spaces, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and Life Skills, providing participants with information on girls’ protection, personal development, the importance of education and available avenues for seeking support against abuse, discrimination and harmful practices.
The event also served as an avenue to sensitise participants on the dangers of child marriage and the need for stronger collaboration among families, religious institutions, schools, government agencies and communities to protect girls’ rights and expand their educational opportunities.
In attendance were religious leaders, representatives of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), teachers and students from ten selected schools, alongside other stakeholders committed to advancing girls’ education and empowerment in Taraba State.
