No fewer than 200 facilitators, Education Management Information System (EMIS) officers and area officers in the non-formal education and vocational sectors have undergone refresher training aimed at improving learning outcomes and strengthening service delivery in Kogi State.
The training was organised by the Kogi State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment in collaboration with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development, the implementing partner under Sub-Component 2.2c for Alternative Education.
The capacity-building programme, held in Adavi Local Government Area and Dekina Local Government Area, attracted participants from the three senatorial districts of the state.
Speaking during the exercise, the State Project Coordinator of AGILE, Ahmed Tijani Oricha, described the training as a strategic intervention to improve the effectiveness of the project, particularly in advancing non-formal education for adolescent girls.
According to him, the training became necessary following gaps identified during first-quarter monitoring exercises across learning centres.
He stressed that improving the capacity of facilitators and EMIS officers would enhance data management, instructional delivery and programme implementation.
Oricha noted that accurate data collection and reporting are vital to the success of development programmes, adding that strengthening EMIS officers would improve accountability and support evidence-based planning.
He also commended the partnership between AGILE and PIBCID, saying such collaboration was critical to delivering impactful, community-driven interventions.
Earlier, the Sub-Component Lead for Alternative Education, Mariam Bello, said the refresher training was designed to address deficiencies discovered during monitoring visits while improving the quality of non-formal education delivery.
She explained that the exercise included the signing of Code of Conduct forms, breakout sessions to review facilitators’ teaching methods and evaluation exercises to identify critical needs in learning centres.
Bello said continuous training was necessary to equip facilitators with the skills required to meet the learning needs of communities.
She further highlighted the importance of reliable data collection, noting that quality information remains essential for planning, decision-making and the overall success of the programme.
She disclosed that the next phase of the initiative would introduce life skills and vocational studies, while learning primers would be translated into local languages to make them more accessible to learners.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of PIBCID, Rachael Akande, said the training would have a lasting impact on beneficiaries.
Akande maintained that well-trained facilitators and officers were better positioned to deliver quality education and contribute to community development.
Participants described the training as insightful and impactful, saying it improved their understanding of data collection, teaching strategies and coordination.
They pledged to apply the knowledge gained in their various centres to improve learning outcomes and ensure the success of the AGILE project at the grassroots.
