Niger Education Ministry, AGILE Project Partner GBV Service Providers

The Niger State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, held a one-day strategic meeting with Gender-Based Violence (GBV) service providers on Saturday in Minna, aimed at formalising partnerships through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The meeting culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the parties to enhance coordinated efforts in addressing GBV within schools and communities.

Held at Yayi Hotels, the event brought together stakeholders from across the 25 local government areas of the state. Seventy-five service providers and partners attended the meeting, which focused on integrating GBV response into the state’s education framework.

In her keynote address, Hajiya Maimunat Ibrahim Tahir, AGILE’s State Project Coordinator, stated that the collaboration marked a formal commitment to safeguarding the rights of adolescent girls to education and safety. She described GBV as a significant barrier to education for many girls and stated that the project was designed to address such structural challenges. “Today, we gathered not only to coordinate our efforts but to solidify our partnership formally. The signing of the MoU symbolises our shared resolve to integrate GBV prevention and response services into AGILE’s education ecosystem, strengthen referral pathways for survivors, and create safer school environments,” she said.

Tahir added that GBV service providers play a critical role in transforming survivors’ experiences. “You are the guardians of resilience,” she said. “Your dedication has already rewritten many painful stories into narratives of empowerment. AGILE stands beside you, ready to combine our resources and reach.” Describing the agreement as more than a formal contract, she noted, “This MoU is a promise to girls, that their safety matters; to communities, that we will work together; and to our mission, that we will not relent until every girl is safe to learn and grow.”

She called for sustained collaboration and accountability, saying, “Let us recommit to action over words, to collaboration over silos, and to the belief that together we can build a Nigeria where every adolescent girl is protected, educated, and empowered.”