The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Project Information Document (PID) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 26-Apr-2020 | Report No: PIDA28038 Mar 01, 2020 Page 1 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Nigeria P170664 Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) AFRICA 20-Apr-2020 23-Jul-2020 Education Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Federal Ministry of Finance Ministry of Education Proposed Development Objective(s) To improve secondary education opportunities among girls in targeted areas in participating states. Components Creating Safe and Accessible Learning Spaces Fostering an enabling environment for girls Project management and system strengthening Contingency Emergency Response Component Unallocated PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 500.00 Total Financing 500.00 of which IBRD/IDA 500.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing Mar 01, 2020 Page 2 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) International Development Association (IDA) 500.00 IDA Credit 500.00 Environmental and Social Risk Classification Substantial Decision The review did authorize the team to appraise and negotiate Other Decision (as needed) Mar 01, 2020 Page 3 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AGILE Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment ANRiN Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria BESDA Better Education Service Delivery for All CPMC Community Project Management Committee DHS Demographic and Health Survey DP Development Partner E&S Environmental and Social ERGP Economic Recovery and Growth Plan ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework FCV Fragility, Conflict and Violence FGM Female Genital Mutilation FME Federal Ministry of Education FMF Federal Ministry of Finance GAR Gross Attendance Rate GBV Gender-Based Violence GDP Gross Domestic Product GER Gross enrollment rate GHS General Household Survey GNI Gross National Income GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism H2H House-to-house mobilization IMF International Monetary Fund JSS Junior Secondary School LGA Local Government Area LGEA Local Government Education Authority Mar 01, 2020 Page 4 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) MDG Millennium Development Goal MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey MPA Multiphase Programmatic Approach NEDS Nigeria Education Data Survey NGO Non-Governmental Organization NPSC National Project Steering Committee OOS Out-of-school PIM Project Implementation Manual SBMC School-Based Management Committee SEA Sexual Exploitation and Abuse SIG School improvement grant SIP School improvement plan SME State Ministry of Education SPFMU State Project Financial Management Unit SPHCDA State Primary Health Care Development Agency SPIU State Project Implementation Unit SPR Social Poverty Register SPSC State Project Steering Committee SSEB State Secondary Education Board SUBEB State Universal Basic Education Board TA Technical Assistance UBE Universal Basic Education UBEC Universal Basic Education Commission WDR World Development Report Mar 01, 2020 Page 5 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) B. Introduction and Context 1. Nigeria’s economic recovery from 2016 recession was strengthening at the onset of COVID -19, with annual growth averaging 2.2 percent in 2019. The collapse of global oil prices during 2014–16, combined with lower domestic oil production, led to a sudden slowdown in economic activity. Nigeria’s annual real GDP growth rate, which averaged 7 percent from 2000 to 2014, fell to 2.7 percent in 2015 and to -1.6 percent in 2016. Growth slowly rebounded in 2017, levelling about 2 percent in 2018-2019, driven initially by the oil sector and more recently by the services sector, with positive contributions from agriculture. Although it accounts only for 10 percent of the economy, the oil sector however remains the key source of export earnings and government revenues. Nigeria’s economy will be severely affected by the global economic disruption caused by COVID-19. Due to the oil price shock (over 50 percent fall in 2020), Nigeria’s economy projected to contract (by about 3 percent) in 2020, with domestic outbreak of the virus presenting an additional downside risk. 2. With population growth (estimated at 2.6 percent) outpacing economic growth in a context of weak job creation, per capita incomes are falling. Today, an estimated 100 million Nigerians live on less than US$1.90 per day.1 Close to 80 percent of poor households are in northern Nigeria, while employment creation and income gains have been concentrated in central and southern Nigeria. Unemployment is high (23 percent), with a further 20 percent of the labor force under-employed. COVID-19 economic effects will impact livelihoods and local economic through multiple channels with the impact being most adverse for those in the informal economy: loss of wage incomes (particularly urban) in the context of layoffs and retrenchment, decline in non-wage incomes (e.g., fall in remittances from abroad and domestically), and for agricultural households and M&SMEs, a breakdown in markets and supply channels and a pronounced decline in demand. 3. Nigeria faces security challenges, exacerbating fragility in already-marginalized areas of the country, particularly the northern regions. Widespread conflict in the North East, the Middle Belt, and the Niger Delta has made it difficult for households to access basic services and economic opportunities. The Boko Haram insurgency in the North East has had a particularly deleterious effect on the population’s economic and social wellbeing, derailing poverty reduction efforts and further widening the North-South divide (World Bank 2016). 2 These conflicts and ensuing fragility are shaped by complex and interrelated historical, economic, political, socio-cultural and environmental factors. 4. In recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken hold with more than two million cases worldwide, and more than 100,000 deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic is driving high rates of unemployment and a major contraction of economies worldwide. Beyond the public health impacts of this phenomenon, whose reach is still uncertain, Nigeria is also facing important challenges as a consequence of the strong hit in the global economy and the significant drop in commodity prices, especially for oil. Nigeria’s economy and the government’s finances are highly dependent on sales of crude oil—90% of exports, 30% of banking sector credit, and 50% of (consolidated) government revenues. With the sharp fall in oil prices, the economy is projected to contract by 3% in 2020, and consolidated government revenues to fall by USD 10 billion. 1 Source: World Poverty Clock (Projection for 2019). 2 World Bank, 2016. Multi-sectoral crisis recovery project for North Eastern Nigeria. World Bank, Washington, DC. Mar 01, 2020 Page 6 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) 5. Due to the ensuing economic crisis, the opportunity gaps between rich and poor will grow even larger and gender divide will be further exacerbated. The shocks to the economy will likely deepen the learning crisis and further hamper the accumulation of human capital.3 6. Human development outcomes are already low. Nigeria has not prioritized investment in human capital spending with an estimated 2.4 percent of GDP spending on health and education, which is low by international and regional standards -- the average for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is 5 percent (SCD 2020; UIS 2011).4 The country’s score on the Human Capital Index (HCI) measures the amount of human capital that a child born today can expect to accumulate by age 18, measuring her productivity compared to a benchmark of complete education and full health is 0.34 (World Bank, 2018).5 which is poor compared to many SSA and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (see Figure 1a). Nigerian children lag on all six indicators measuring survival, schooling, and health scoring below regional and global averages (see Table 1a). Nigeria will overtake India in 2021 as the country with the highest under-five mortality rate and will have one of the highest rates of child malnutrition with approximately one in every three children (32 percent) under five years of age suffering from chronic malnutrition. Further, one in every five (or 20 percent) of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria, and only 4 percent of the poorest quintile is covered by social safety nets (World Bank 2019).6 7. These low human development outcomes are likely to limit Nigeria’s prospects of achieving a demographic dividend. Currently, Nigeria is on the path for a “low-medium� development scenario. By 3 See Box 5 for more details on COVID’s expected impact and measures that will be supported under the proposed project to mitigate its impact on learning and the overall health and well-being of children. 4 World Bank. 2020. Nigeria on the Move: A Journey to Inclusive Growth. Systematic Country Diagnostic. World Bank, Washington, DC.; UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2011. Financing Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: Meeting the Challenges of Expansion, Equity and Quality. 5 According to HCI estimates, a child born today can be expected to be only 34 percent as productive when she grows up as she would have been if she had enjoyed complete education and full health. World Bank. 2018. The Human Capital Project. World Bank, Washington, DC. World Bank. www.worldbank.org/humancapitalproject 6 World Bank. 2019. Advancing Social Protection in a Dynamic Nigeria. World Bank, Washington, DC. Mar 01, 2020 Page 7 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) focusing on improving human capital and promoting jobs-rich growth, Nigeria can shift towards a “rapid- development� scenario placing a demographic dividend within sight by 2050.7 There is an emerging literature that shows a demographic dividend is in fact a human capital dividend as an increase in human capital, especially in closing the gender gap, is a trigger for both demographic transition and economic growth.8 (Lutz, et.al., 2019) 9. 8. Outcomes are particularly low among girls and young women in Nigeria. Girls in Nigeria have, in general, fewer educational opportunities, face considerable health risks due to early and frequent childbearing, have limited access to credit and productive resources, and have poorer labor market outcomes even when gaps in human capital are considered. Further, women and girls are more vulnerable to climate change because they depend more on natural resources for their livelihoods, receive less education and are often poorer. These pervasive gender gaps10 including inequities in health and education, undermine the country’s overall goals related to poverty reduction and economic growth. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable, making adolescence a critical window for support to improve development outcomes. 9. Addressing these gaps and disparities by investing in girls’ health and education and by expanding their access to economic opportunities will be critical for the Government to revitalize the economy and put the country on a path towards sustainable development (SCD, 2020). Achieving sustained results in improving girls’ education will be particularly important as it has shown to be a powerful transformative force for the girls, their communities, and the economy. Girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, is consistently found to positively influence not only girls’ lives, but also drive other positive development outcomes, including a reduction in child and maternal mortality rates, improvements in educational outcomes of offspring, and reducing poverty and promoting equitable growth (World Bank, 2012). 11 Each additional year of junior or senior secondary school is associated with, on average, a 6-percentage point reduction in the probability of having a child before age 18 and a 10 percent increase in income. 7 The medium scenario is the middle of the road scenario that can also be seen as the most likely path for each country. It combines for all countries medium fertility with medium mortality, medium migration, and the Global Education Trend (GET) education scenario. The rapid-development scenario on the other hand assumes a future that is moving toward a more sustainable path, with educational and health investments accelerating the demographic transition, leading to a relatively low world population. The emphasis is on strengthening human wellbeing. This is associated with high education, low mortality and low fertility. Migration levels are assumed to be medium (Lutz, Butz, and K.C., 2014). 8 The demographic transition is a generalized description of the changing pattern of mortality, fertility and growth rates as societies move from one demographic regime to another. 9 Lutz, W., Cuaresma, J.C., Kebede, E., Prskawetz, A., Sanderson, W.C. and Striessnig, E., 2019. Education rather than age structure brings demographic dividend. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(26), pp.12798-12803. 10 For example, onthe World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, Nigeria ranks 133 among 144 countries. The Gender Gap Index ranks countries according to calculated gender gap between women and men in four key areas: health, education, economy and politics to gauge the state of gender equality in a country. World Economic Forum (2016). The Global Gender Gap Report 2016: Insight Report. Cologny, Switzerland: World Economic Forum. 11 World Bank. 2012. World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development: Main report. Washington, DC Mar 01, 2020 Page 8 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) B. Sectoral and Institutional Context 10. Education is an important building block and the most impactful ways to empower girls as it influences critical human development outcomes and builds their sense of agency.12 Though Nigeria has made some advances in improving the well-being of girls and women towards achieving gender parity in education, health, and access to jobs, these improvements have not occurred evenly across regions and by socio-economic status. Progress has not reached all girls and women, with those from the northern parts of the country, rural areas, and poor households being more disadvantaged. 11. A poor girl born in northern Nigeria faces daunting challenges throughout her life. She has a 55 percent chance of being stunted in early childhood and more than a 10 percent chance of dying, mainly from preventable disease before she reaches the age of five (DHS, 2018)13. If she survives to her school- age years, she will have, on average, less than a 50 percent chance of enrolling in primary school and less than a 30 percent chance of transiting to secondary school. If the girl comes from a rural community or from a poor household, she is doubly disadvantaged. A girl from the poorest wealth quintile, for example, has a 24 percent change of enrolling in primary and only a 9 percent chance of enrolling in secondary compared to an 87 percent chance and 79 percent chance, respectively, for girls in the South South region14 (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017).15 12. In her adolescent years, girl in northern Nigeria, have a 35.6 percent chance of getting married by age 15 and a 45.7 percent chance of starting childbearing by age 18 (Ibid) on average. 16 The high probability of entering into early marriage and childbearing before she may be physically and emotionally ready is likely to have detrimental effects on the health and well-being of herself and her children (Wodon et.al., 2018; Karra and Lee, 2012)17 She has over a 1 in 20 lifetime risk of dying from complications arising during pregnancy or early childbirth. Her children face disproportionately high health risks with research showing that infant mortality rates are 85 deaths per 1,000 live births for mothers who are under the age of 20 at the time of birth compared to 59 deaths per 1,000 live births for mothers who are between the ages of 20-39 (DHS, 2018). A girl who marries at an early age also has poorer long-term economic and labor market prospects. The likelihood of her being employed is low,18 she is more likely to engage in low- productivity low-paying jobs and, on average, earn less than her male peers (International Monetary Fund (IMF) 2018). 19 Early marriage is strongly associated with level of education, 82 percent of women with no education marry before they are 18 compared with 13 percent of women who have completed secondary education. 13. Over the last three decades, government efforts have resulted in some improvements in 12 Wodon, Q., Montenegro, C., Nguyen, H. and Onagoruwa, A., 2018. Missed Opportunities: The high cost of not educating girls. World Bank. 13 National Population Commission - NPC/Nigeria and ICF. 2019. Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Abuja, Nigeria, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NPC and ICF 14 South South region has achieved gender parity in basic education. 15 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2016 -17, Survey Findings Report. Abuja, Nigeria: National Bureau of Statistics and United Nations Children’s Fund. 16 In North East and North West regions of Nigeria, 26.4 percent and 35.6 percent of girls get married by age 15, respectively. Further, 41.8 percent and 45.7 percent of girls start childbearing by age 18 respectively (MICS, 2017). 17 Wodon, et.al., 2018, Karra and Lee provide detailed discussion on the far-reaching consequences of early marriage and childbearing. Karra, M. and Lee, M., 2012. Human capital consequences of teenage childbearing in South Africa. Washington, DC: Population Reference Bureau. 18 In the North East or North West regions of the country, female employment rate is low at 46 percent and 57 percent respectively, compared to 82 percent and 72 percent respectively for men in the same regions (DHS, 2013). 19 IMF (2018). Nigeria, Selected Issues Paper. IMF Country Report no .18/64. Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund. Mar 01, 2020 Page 9 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) education outcomes among both boys and girls. The Universal Basic Education (UBE) Program introduced by the Government in 1999 aimed to provide six years of free, compulsory and universal primary education for all children. In 2004, the Program was expanded to include three years of junior secondary education (for a total of nine years of free and compulsory basic education) (see Box 1 for more details). As part of the country’s push towards achievement of the millennium development goals (MDGs)20, there have been some important improvements in access to basic education evidenced in increases in the gross attendance ratio (GAR) between 1990 and 2015 from 69 percent to 85.4 percent at the primary level and from 30 percent to 69 percent at the junior secondary level (based on a comparison of Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS) data, 1990; 2015). 21 Box 1: Overview of Nigeria’s Education Sector The Nigerian education system follows a ‘6-3-3-4’ structure consisting of nine years of basic education (six years of primary and three years of junior secondary), followed by three years of senior secondary education and four years of tertiary education. Responsibility for the provision of education is divided among federal, state and local governments, with some overlap in practice. The Federal Ministry of Education (FME) has a policy formulation and coordination mandate, collects data for the purposes of planning and financing, maintains standards, controls quality through the Inspectorate Services, effects international cooperation, and develops curricula in conjunction with other bodies. The National Council on Education (NCE) coordinates policy making across the different tiers of Government, and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) is the federal agency responsible for basic education policy implementation. In addition to the 2004 UBE Act expanding the UBE Program to include the three years of junior secondary school (i.e., covering a total of nine years of basic education) it also called for the disarticulation of junior secondary school from senior secondary school which has not been successfully implemented by states. Primary education is officially under the auspices of each state’s Universal Basic Education Board (or SUBEB). However, Local Government Authorities (LGAs) also play a role at this level, for example, in the recruiting and monitoring of teachers and providing support with capital and financing school renovation projects. At the local level, the institutional framework is not clearly delineated as Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) oversee basic education, while LGAs are involved in the management and financing of primary education. Junior secondary education management is shared between the SUBEB and the State Ministry of Education (SME), with roles and responsibilities not clearly delineated. In some states, SUBEBs are active in the management of junior secondary school, while in other states secondary education falls under a separate executive agency, the State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) under the SME or directly managed by the SME. Senior secondary education is under the jurisdiction of the SME, with the exception of 101 federal unity schools which are managed by the FME. 14. Despite these improvements, access to education, especially at the junior and senior secondary levels, is still limited and inequitable between regions and gender in Nigeria (see Figure 2). The recent COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures worldwide including in Nigeria where it brought serious disruptions to the education sector. With the COVID-19 shock, children and youth are forced out of school, with the poorest households hit hardest. With all schools closed, more than 45 million students’ learning has come to a halt. Youth particularly girls who are forced out of school may not return, even before the crisis, Nigeria has a stubbornly high number of girls who are out of school. Nationally, an 20With government support and investment from various development partners (DPs). 21National Population Commission, & RTI international. 2011. Nigeria demographic and health survey (DHS) EdData profile 1990, 2003, and 2008: Education data for decision-making, 2011. Washington, DC, USA: National Population Commission (Nigeria) and RTI International; National Population Commission (Nigeria) and RTI International. 2016. 2015 Nigeria Education Data Survey Education Profile. Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development. Mar 01, 2020 Page 10 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) estimated 10.5 million children (ages 5 to 1622) in Nigeria are out of school, 90 percent of whom are in northern Nigeria and 7.4 million of whom are girls.23 School enrollment declines significantly as one progresses through the education system particularly in northern Nigeria. For example, in the North West only 32.1 percent of boys and girls who begin primary school complete senior secondary school, compared to 82 percent of children in the South East and South West of Nigeria (MICS, 2017). Comparison of educational outcomes between boys and girls shows that while outcomes for boys are marginally better than for girls in the north, both boys and girls in northern Nigeria have low levels of schooling compared to children in southern parts of the country. At the primary level, for example, the school attendance rate for boys and girls in northern Nigeria was 49 percent and 44 percent, respectively, compared to an overall rate of 88 percent in the South East. 15. Education outcomes at the secondary level among adolescent girls are particularly concerning. Of the 1.85 million girls who began primary school in 2017/2018 in the northern states, it can be expected that over two-thirds (or 1.3 million) of them will drop out before reaching the last year of junior secondary school (National Personnel Audit (NPA) Survey, 2018).24 While recent data are not available at the senior secondary level, school census data from the 2015/16 academic year shows that the senior secondary gross enrollment ratio (GER) among girls was 21 percent in the North East and 24 percent in the North West, with the rates being as low as 16 percent in Borno and Kebbi states in the north (Education Management Information System (EMIS), 2016). 25 22 Basic education age is 5-16 years of age. This does not include all of the senior secondary school-age girls (ages 15 to 18). 23 Authors’ estimation using population projection data from NBS, 2019 and estimates for the share of out -of-school children from NEDS, 2016. 24 Universal Basic Education Commission. 2018. National Personnel Audit Survey. Abuja, Nigeria (data obtained from UBEC directly). 25 Federal Ministry of Education. 2016. Education Management Information System (EMIS), Nigeria Education Indicators. Abuja, Nigeria (http://www.nemis.gov.ng/downloads_fold/Nigeria%20Education%20Indicators%202016.pdf) Mar 01, 2020 Page 11 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Figure 2: Primary and Secondary School Net Attendance Rate by Region and Gender 85.2 85.6 86.5 86.9 88.3 88.8 100 79.4 76.6 76.6 73.6 72.4 69.8 67.5 72 80 51.2 50.8 49.4 48.8 47.4 60 44 36.4 32.5 30.6 30.3 40 20 0 North East North West North Central South West South South South East Primary Male Primary Female Secondary Male Secondary Female Source: MICS, 201726 16. Adolescent girls in northern Nigeria face complex and multi- Figure 3: Female enrollment by grade in Northern Nigeria dimensional constraints in accessing and completing secondary education. In 2.00 preparation of the proposed project, the Government, in collaboration with the 1.50 1.85 Enrollment in Millions 1.58 World Bank, conducted intensive 1.43 1.00 1.24 stakeholder consultations on adolescent 1.08 girls’ education in five northern states 0.50 0.90 that have low secondary school access 0.53 0.50 0.45 rates, a high number of out-of-school 0.00 girls, high fertility rates, a high prevalence 1 2 3 5 4 Grade 6 7 8 9 of early marriage and some of the Source: National Personnel Audit Survey, UBEC, 2017/18 poorest human development outcomes, namely Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Katsina states. These consultations provided a better understanding of constraints that girls face in accessing and staying in school. On the basis of information gathered through these consultations, a review of available research and data analysis and experience under Bank-supported projects, a set of critical supply- and demand-side constraints to accessing and completing school were identified as described below. 26National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2016- 17, Survey Findings Report. Abuja, Nigeria: National Bureau of Statistics and United Nations Children’s Fund. Mar 01, 2020 Page 12 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Supply-side Constraints 17. Lack of secondary schools: For many girls (and boys) in the North, there is no secondary school where they live – more than one-quarter (23 percent) of primary schools (a proxy for community location) in the north Figure 4: Primary schools by distance to do not have a junior secondary school within four kilometers Junior Secondary School (Kaduna State) compared to only five percent of primary schools in southern Nigeria. The expansion of school infrastructure has not kept pace with the rapid growth in primary enrollment or the rising transition rates to secondary school. Nationally, there is an acute shortage of secondary schools in Nigeria with only 30,579 junior secondary schools and 21,688 senior secondary schools (EMIS, 2016)27 – compared to 131,000 primary schools, implying a ratio of approximately 4.3 primary schools for every junior secondary school and 6.1 primary schools for every senior secondary school. The lack of secondary schools is significantly greater in the north with up to ten secondary schools for every primary school. The lack of schools is particularly significant in certain states – including Kaduna, Katsina and Kebbi states as shown in Table 228. The lack of schools is even more stark at the senior secondary level, for Source: Authors’ analysis of National Personnel Audit Survey, UBEC, 2017/18 example, in Kebbi there are 20 primary schools for every senior secondary school (EMIS, 2016 and NPA, 2018).29 18. Poor condition of infrastructure and a lack of WASH facilities: Underinvestment has left a legacy of secondary schools with poor infrastructure and dilapidated and total lack of basic amenities (see Table 2 for more details). There are, in many schools, a lack of basic facilities including (separate) toilets and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities which impedes girls’ attendance and retention in school. More than 50 percent of public junior secondary schools in Borno, Kano, Kaduna and Kebbi, reported that more than one-half of their classrooms were in poor condition while over 60 percent reported having no teaching materials, roofing, furniture, perimeter fencing or separate toilets for girls. The lack of toilets is considerable with an average pupil-to-toilet ratio of 280 to 1, significantly above the recommended ratio of 40 to 1. Most of the schools are inaccessible to children with physical disabilities. In conflict-affected areas of the North East, as a result of Boko Haram’s targeting of schools, many are damaged or destroyed and a large portion (for example, 77 percent of those in Borno) have no WASH facilities.30 27 Recent school level data at the senior secondary level is currently lacking. The only information on the number of senior secondary schools comes from the 2015/16 EMIS school census, which shows 21,688 senior secondary schools nationally. 28 The latest school level data comes from the 2017/18 National Personnel Audit (NPA) survey, which does not contain information on senior secondary schools. In Kaduna, there are 5,101 primary schools and 904 JSS. In Kano there are 7,972 primary schools to 1,669 JSS. In Katsina and Kebbi there are 3,550 and 3,245 primary schools and 548 and 370 JSS respectively. 29 In the 2015/16 EMIS school census, the number of SSS in Kaduna was 706, in Kano 863, in Katsina 384, and in Kebbi 136. 30 The total impact of the Boko Haram related conflict on the education sector is estimated around US$273 million, 53 percent of which is accounted for by the State of Borno (World Bank, 2016). Mar 01, 2020 Page 13 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Table 2: Status of Public Junior Secondary Schools* Junior secondary schools Borno Kaduna Kano Katsina Kebbi Plateau Total number of junior secondary schools 370 904 1,669 548 370 1,046 Total number of senior secondary schools 110 706 862 384 163 711 Portion of public JSS that reported having: at least 50% of classrooms in bad condition 47.2 51.4 22.9 38.4 48.6 39.9 no separate toilet for girls 57.6 27.2 18.2 16.8 43.6 42.4 no safe drinking water 61.1 29.7 20.2 19.9 15.7 35.4 not having any power 70.7 53.3 40.4 47.7 49.3 35.8 no functional computers 85.2 72.0 60.9 67.2 59.6 34.3 no functional laboratories 92.6 60.2 69.1 48.7 70.7 32.5 Pupil textbook ratio: English 10.6 1.5 3.2 3.7 3.9 2.1 Pupil textbook ratio: Math 12.5 1.4 3.2 3.9 3.7 2.1 Pupil textbook ratio: Basic Science 11.8 1.5 4.6 5.3 4.2 2.9 Source: NPA, 2018. *Senior secondary data is not available Demand-side Constraints 19. Prevailing social and cultural norms: Traditions, social norms and gender biases often prevent girls from accessing and completing secondary school. Cultural, social and religious norms have a significant effect on girls’ education in contrast to high demand for religious and/or islamiyya schooling. Further, families and communities are influenced by cultural and social norms that undervalue the benefits of educating girls. In many communities, a woman’s role is primarily understood as that of a wife and mother with little value placed on her educational attainment. Although the legal age for marriage in Nigeria is 18, exceptions are made in light of religious or customary law, and for many families, marrying their adolescent daughters is culturally acceptable and can promote status in the community. 20. According to a recent study of girls in Kano and Katsina, around one-third of girls that dropped out reported “marriage� or “plans to marry� as the primary reason for leaving school.31 Early marriage is strongly associated with level of education: 82 percent of women with no education marry before they are 18 compared with 13 percent of women who have completed secondary education.32 The prevalence of early marriage at 15 years of age is 45 percent higher in Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Sokoto and Borno states. Girls’ education is also hindered by the gendered division of household labor, with girls 31 Through this assessment, Mercy Corps profiled 1,800 adolescent girls (ages 15 to 19) across the North Western States of Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa to identify key barriers and opportunities for financial inclusion and entrepreneurship. Mercy Corps (2013). Adolescent girls in northern Nigeria: Financial inclusion and entrepreneurship opportunities profile. 32 8 Girls Not Brides. (2018). https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/nigeria/ Mar 01, 2020 Page 14 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) often expected to contribute to activities such as providing care for younger siblings or engaging in farming activities. 21. Costs of secondary school: Close to 80 percent of poor households are in the north – and for these families – it is difficult to cover the direct or indirect cost of schooling. According to the 2015 NEDS, 18 to 38 percent of girls ages 6 to 16 who were out of school in the north reported the monetary cost of schooling as the main constraint.33 The financial burden on families is even higher at the senior secondary level as there are school fees in addition to other costs. For poor families, sending their daughters to school means losing a key income earner, who is critical to meeting the basic needs of their families. Educating their girls means a trade-off between girls going to school and foregone income. 22. Lack of relevance of secondary education/limited returns to education: The prevailing belief among many households is that secondary school will not help girls acquire the vocational skills and knowledge relevant for the labor market.34 35 Given their uncertainty as to the long-term returns of education with schools considered unable to increase girls’ access to economic assets and improve their overall financial security, education is often deemed an unwise financial investment, particularly among poor households.36 This perception is reinforced by a lack of formal jobs and examples of educated women in the local communities that have improved their economic status. Many families do not believe education alone can empower their daughters with an alternative economic path or a pathway to the labor market. 23. Based on available research37 acquiring skills doesn’t necessarily provide a pathway to labor market. Without life skills training and relevant knowledge, skills interventions do not transform girls’ lives. The lack of opportunities to acquire life skills, health knowledge, strong social networks further discourages families from investing in the education of their daughters. Data shows that many girls lack socio-emotional skills (self-determination, confidence etc.), have limited knowledge on critical adolescent health issues (for example, one study found that only 26.5 percent of females ages 15 to 19 years in Nigeria had comprehensive knowledge of reproductive health (RH) or HIV/AIDS)38and receive very little essential health information during their adolescence. Often, unintended pregnancy among adolescent girls in school is a consequence of little or no access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health information and services.39 24. Girls are at risk of violence in and around schools: Girls are often required to travel long distances to the nearest school placing them at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV). In northern Nigeria, as female students have been directly targeted by Boko 33 According to the 2015 NEDS, 38 percent of children in the North Central reported being out of school due to monetary costs while 21.7 percent of children in the North East reported them as the reason they were out of school. In addition, similarly, 24.7 percent of children in the North West reported that they were out of school due to the “demand for labor� while 15.7 percent of children in the North Central r egion reported this one of the main reasons that they were out of school. National Population Commission (Nigeria) and RTI International. 2016. 2015 Nigeria Education Data Survey Education Profile. Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development 34 Available data provides evidence of low learning outcomes which is reflective of poor-quality education provided (SDI survey-Nigeria, 2013; NBS, 2019). See under supply-side barriers for detailed discussion on the poor quality and relevance of education. 35 Those who do, receive this on an ad hoc basis through targeted programs and either receive one or the other, while the research shows the importance of both types of skills training for girls’ empowerment. 36 Mercy Corps (2013). Adolescent girls in northern Nigeria. 37 Judith Walker (2019). Lessons learned from skills acquisition programs for girls at risk in Northern Nigeria 38 Study in 2013. See Review of Adolescent and youth policies, strategies and laws in selected West African countries. UNFPA. Found at: https://wcaro.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_WAfrica_Youth_ENG_20170726%20%281%29_0.pdf 39 United Nations Population Fund. Technical Guidance on Prioritizing Adolescent Health and Adolescent Pregnancy. 2017. Available online: http://www.unfpa.org/adolescent-pregnancy (accessed on 6 June 2018). Mar 01, 2020 Page 15 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Haram, families are increasingly reluctant to send their girls to school. Further, corporal punishment and physical disciplinary action are commonplace. Though codes of conduct exist for teachers, students and parents – they do not adequately address issues of corporal punishment and there are no clear pathways for preventing, identifying, reporting and addressing incidents of violence. There is also a limited understanding of GBV among communities and parents, including its negative impact on girls’ enrollment, attendance and retention. System-level Constraints 25. Gaps in planning and provision of secondary education: While responsibility for senior secondary school management lies with the SME and the responsibility of junior secondary school management lies with the SUBEBs (see Box 1), in practice, the management of junior secondary schools is still with the SME or shared between the SUBEB and the SME. In such instances, the roles and responsibilities are not clearly delineated, making the management of secondary education inefficient with support to secondary schools often inequitable and inadequate further exacerbating supply-side constraints to girls’ education. For example, currently most states do not have a secondary school network development plan, they also lack a strategic plan for teacher management and professional development that can guide merit-based recruitment of secondary school teachers and teachers’ overall career development. 26. Lack of data to assess current programs and to guide decision-making to support girls’ schooling: There is limited information on girls’ education outcomes and data on education trends, particularly for girls at the senior secondary level. There is no comprehensive dataset on senior secondary schooling and education outcomes which prevents identification and analysis of gender gaps, assessment of progress, and limits the ability to distribute resources equitably. More generally, there is a lack of high quality, timely and reliable data at the senior secondary level. Comprehensive system-level data is mainly drawn from the NPA survey conducted by UBEC, which provides school census-based data that covers only basic education (primary and junior secondary). There are also capacity limitations at the federal and state levels in analyzing and utilizing the little senior secondary education data that exist. Government’s renewed commitment on girls’ education and empowerment 27. To respond to the above-mentioned constraints on girls’ education and empowerment, the Government has renewed its commitment. The Investment in Youth pillar of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) is considered to lay the foundation for Nigeria’s economic growth which has a specific focus on girls including their education and empowerment. Moreover, the Government’s Human Capital Development Vision (HCDV) underscores the critical aims of promoting universal education and prioritizing girls’ education. Accordingly, in 2019, the Government put forward a set of prioritized policy and programmatic actions, and committed to, among others, doubling girls’ secondary education enrolment and completion rates. 28. The Government has expressed its commitment to promote gender equality and girls’ empowerment. A key focus of the National Gender Policy is promoting women’s empowerment and integrating gender within key sectors including education. The recent administration has also increased resources for ministries whose work has a direct bearing on the lives of women, particularly their health and education. There is also growing collaboration among the Government and various development partners (DPs) in this area. This collaboration is evident in a project on empowering and building the Mar 01, 2020 Page 16 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) resilience of women and girls being implemented in Borno and Yobe states40 and through the Education of Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) Program which aims to boost learning outcomes and economic status of marginalized adolescent girls in Nigeria. 29. State Governments have also demonstrated their commitment to promoting girls’ education as captured in their Education Sector Plans (ESPs). States’ ESPs41 include measures to increase access to basic and secondary education and to improve the quality of education services with a specific focus on girls’ education. Some of the proposed activities and efforts include female teacher recruitment, teacher professional development, and rehabilitation of schools. Kaduna and Kano states have extended the provision of compulsory and free education to include free senior secondary education for all girls (for a total of 12 years). Girls’ education is increasingly seen by the Federal and state governments as part of the larger human capital and growth agenda for the country. 30. Legal frameworks: Some of the states’ commitments to girls’ education and empowerment are reflected in recent legislation – for example, a law was passed in Kano state which requires girls to complete secondary education before getting married. Further, Nigeria civil law Marriage Act (1990)42 has set the legal age of marriage for women and men at 21 years of age. The consent of a legal authority (parent, court, administrative officer) is required for a person under the legal age to marry. Nigeria has statutory laws that criminalize rape under the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 201543, female genital mutilation (FGM) is also prohibited. 31. The Federal Government is committed to the provision of quality education for all. The FME’s vision is “to provide universal and equal access to quality basic and secondary education that will ensure self-reliance, preparedness for further education, good citizenship and effective participation in democratic governance�44 and this is expected to be realized through efforts supported by and aligned with the Government’s UBE Program. Education efforts aim to be inclusive of all children – throughout the country, including girls, children with disabilities, and indigenous populations.45 32. The Government has requested World Bank support to undertake a transformative initiative to improve education outcomes and the overall wellbeing and life trajectory of adolescent girls in northern Nigeria. The proposed Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project seeks to improve adolescent girls’ access to secondary education. The project aims to support the Government to unlock binding demand- and supply-side constraints to girls’ empowerment through education, which are driving low human capital indicators particularly in northern Nigeria. 40 https://africa.unwomen.org/en/news-and-events/stories/2018/06/nigeria-perd-article 41 Including in the participating states, which are in the process of being developed/updated with support from the IDA-funded BESDA Operation (P160430). World Bank. 2017. Nigeria - Better Education Service Delivery for All Operation Project (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/839251498183393835/Nigeria-Better-Education-Service-Delivery-for-All-Operation- Project 42 www.nigeria-law.org/Marriage Act.html 43 https://www.law.cornell.edu/women-and-justice/resource/violence_against_persons_%28prohibition%29_act 44 The constitutions states that, “Government shall as and when practicable provide (a) free, compulsory and universal p rimary education; (b) free secondary education; (c) free university education; and (d) free adult literacy programme.� 45 The Discrimination against persons with disabilities (prohibition) Act includes commitments to inclusive education as an unfettered right to education without discrimination or segregation in any form. Mar 01, 2020 Page 17 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Box 2: The World Bank’s Support to the Government on Girls’ and Women’s Empowerment The World Bank has been supporting the Government of Nigeria in increasing education access and in promoting girls’ and women’s empowerment. In education, Bank-supported/financed projects have focused on increasing girls’ enrolment in primary school (Global Partnership for Education (GPE)-funded Nigeria Partnership for Education Project (NIPEP) (P143842) being carried out in five states for which the Bank is the Grant Agent) as well as the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) Operation (P160430) being implemented in 17 states to promote equitable access for out-of-school children, increasing literacy and improving the quality of basic education, with a strong emphasis on out-of-school girls. There are a number of Bank-financed operations led by various GPs that aim to improve the lives of adolescent girls and women. Operations such as the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria (ANRiN) Project (P162069) and the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) Operation (P146583) are supporting an increase in the utilization of quality nutrition and health services by pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls and children and of RH services for women. The World Bank has also supported innovative approaches to community service delivery through the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) (P090644) which aims to improve social infrastructure services through communities in a sustainable manner for the poor with a focus on girls and women, the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) which aims to provide access to targeted financial transfers to poor and vulnerable households, the Nigeria for Women Project (P161364) which aims to improve the livelihoods of women ages 18 to 64 in agriculture and the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) (P126964) which aims to provide youth, including young women with employment opportunities as well as to provide a safety net for poor households and the Developing Innovative Solutions to Improve Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria WE-FI (P168390) which aims to increase women’s access to financial capital. Overtime, the utilization of Bank financing by the Government to implement interventions that support girls and women is growing. C. Relevance to Higher Level Objectives 33. The AGILE Project is aligned with the SCD priorities and Country Partnership Framework (CPF) objectives. The 2020 SCD priorities include building human capital and bridging the North-South divide with an understanding that increased access to and higher completion rates in secondary education are expected to have a long term and positive impact on the health, nutrition and overall standard of living for girls and their families. The proposed project’s focus on equitable access to education is aligned with the CPF covering 2020-2024 (currently under preparation and will be presented to the Board in May 2020) the goals of which are to, among others --improve the quality and efficiency of social service delivery at the state-level to promote social inclusion and strengthen governance and public sector management, with gender equity and conflict sensitivity as essential elements of good governance. Mar 01, 2020 Page 18 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) 34. The proposed project is also aligned with the objectives of the ERGP and states’ own education initiatives and programs. The ERGP46 recognizes that the shifts in the global economy, the emergence of new sectors and the digital revolution have changed the skills required of the work force and that Nigeria needs to reposition its education sector to prepare its young people to cope with the changing technological and economic environment. Thus, the ERGP aims to ensure quality universal education for Nigerian children and youth, increase the number of youth and adults with the skills required to secure employment and/or become entrepreneurs, and to prioritize education for girls. Further, the proposed project is aligned with the aims and priorities as articulated in the States’ ESPs, as described above. 35. The proposed project’s design is aligned with the World Bank’s larger corporate objectives . Its emphasis on building human capital in disadvantaged areas reflects the World Bank’s twin objectives of reducing extreme poverty and building shared prosperity. Its focus on empowering girls through, among other activities, increasing access to education is aligned with the World Bank Gender Equality, Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth Strategy (2016-2023) 47 as it will address an important gender gap in human endowments and will enhance their voice and agency as they transition to adulthood. The proposed project’s design is also aligned with the focus and aims of the World Bank Group Strategy for Africa (2019) which emphasizes strengthening human capital as an important strategy – through, among others, increasing female education, reducing child marriage, and promoting gender equity and female employment and access to job opportunities and the Human Capital Business Plan for Africa (2019) 48 which identifies ‘a focus on women’s empowerment’ as a strategic pillar. The proposed project also reflects the World Bank’s aim to support the social and economic integration of persons with disabilities by aiming to addressing gaps in access to education among children with disabilities.49 D. Proposed Development Objective(s) 36. Project Development Objective (PDO) Statement: To improve secondary education opportunities among girls in targeted areas in participating states.50 37. Progress towards achievement of the PDO will be measured using the following key results indicators51: • Students benefitting from direct interventions to enhance learning (number disaggregated by gender); • Girls currently enrolled in secondary school; • Girls transitioning to secondary school; • Girls trained who demonstrate digital literacy (percent); and 46 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, Ministry of Budget and National Planning Posted: 2017-02 47 World Bank. 2017. Gender Equality, Poverty Reduction, and Inclusive Growth: 2016-2023 Gender Strategy - 2017 Update to the Board (English). Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/207481489888852225/Gender-Equality-Poverty-Reduction-and-Inclusive-Growth-2016-2023- Gender-Strategy-2017-Update-to-the-Board 48 https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/africa-human-capital-plan 49 Children with disabilities have significant disadvantages in “ever enrolling in school, completing primary or secondary school, or being literate.� Male, C., and Q. Wodon (2017). Disability Gaps in Educational Attainment and Literacy, The Price of Exclusion: Disability and Education Notes Series, Washington, DC: The World Bank. 50 See section B for information on targeted areas and participating states. 51Opportunities in the PDO entails the wide range of multi-sectoral interventions the project supports beyond traditional education, in particular school will be used as a platform to empower the girls through life skills (e.g. nutrition, reproductive health, GBV, negotiations skills, self-agency, confidence) and digital literacy skills. Mar 01, 2020 Page 19 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) • Girls completing life skills program (number) E. Project Description 38. The proposed AGILE Project will work with the federal government and support participating states to improve secondary education opportunities among girls. The AGILE Project aims to achieve its objective through targeted assistance following key project principles (see Box 3 below). The following seven states will benefit from the proposed AGILE Project: Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau, and any other state that may be selected to participate in the Project. The selection of participating states was conducted through a consultative process involving the FME, the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF), State Governors and SMEs. A predefined set of criteria was used to select participating states, which includes: (i) a high number of out-of-school girls; (ii) low transition rates to JS and SS secondary schools; (iii) existence of enabling policies on girls’ education; and (iv) a state’s engagement and commitment to improving girls’ educational attainment and empowerment. AGILE- supported interventions will reach about 182 LGAs and all public junior and senior secondary schools, while prioritising targeted areas that are poor and have the lowest secondary transition rates among girls in participating states.52 The proposed project aims to benefit all adolescents (boys and girls) in public secondary schools (state/LGA, integrated Islamiyaa schools and community schools.53). Box 3: Key Project Principles • Government commitment: State governments have shown a strong commitment to increase girls’ access to secondary education, this is evident in recent legislation such as the introduction of free secondary education for girls in Kano and Kaduna states. • Multi-sectoral and selectivity: The project will use schools as a platform to deliver multi-sectoral services for adolescent girls in school, including: (a) education (b) life-skills training (self-determination, gender awareness, confidence); (c) GBV and health awareness (RH, hygiene and nutrition); and (d) digital literacy. These key specific interventions were carefully selected as building blocks for empowering girls to reach their full potential. Further, the project will provide financial incentives to the poorest households. • Flexibility and performance based: In order to provide maximum flexibility and disbursement based on performance, US$10 million of project funds will remain unallocated to be allocated to states based on performance. • Conflict sensitivity and adaptation: Given the conflict and fragility in the Northeast of Nigeria, the project design is adjusted to account for needs of specific states which have been most affected, such as Borno. Implementation measures have been adapted to accommodate these settings, including for example, the use of third-party monitoring and implementation in hard-to-reach areas. To this end, the project will mainstream the use of Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) including ICT and Technology. Geo-enabling technology will also be used to help enhance accountability and transparency and systematize the analysis of collected field data in an integrated M&E system. The use of security personnel will mainstream ESS4 requirements. As such, a Security Risk Assessment (SRA) will be carried out and the project will take steps to ensure proper identification and mitigation of conflict risks while also supporting resilience measures working with existing programs in Borno (Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project for North Eastern Nigeria) (P173104) • Building on existing systems and programs: The proposed project has linkages with and draws on experiences and achievements in other projects in Nigeria, for example, under Subcomponent 1.1, the project builds on the community structure and approach used under the CSDP and the use of the National Social Registry (NSR). 39. The project consists of the following four components: (i) creating safe and accessible learning 52 The LGAs in each state are ranked, those that rank in the bottom half are currently targeted by the project. 53 Definition based on data from the NPA 2018. Mar 01, 2020 Page 20 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) spaces; (ii) fostering an enabling environment for girls; (iii) project management and system strengthening; and (iv) Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) (see Figure 5 below). Each component is described below. Mar 01, 2020 Page 21 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Figure 5: AGILE Approach to Supporting Girls Component 1: Creating Safe and accessible learning spaces (US$315 million equivalent) 40. This component will address supply-side constraints to girls’ education. Specifically, the component will support: (a) the construction of new classrooms (climate-smart infrastructure) to expand existing primary and junior secondary schools to include junior and senior secondary schools, respectively; and (b) the rehabilitation of dilapidated classrooms/facilities as well as the provision of teaching and learning materials (TLMs) to make schools functional, safe, inclusive and conducive to teaching and learning. Subcomponent 1.1: Creating new safe learning spaces in secondary schools (US$180 million equivalent) 41. This subcomponent will support increased access of adolescent girls to secondary education in rural communities within targeted LGAs, by constructing climate-smart infrastructure. New learning spaces will be provided by expanding existing54 primary and junior secondary schools to include junior and senior secondary schools55, respectively. In targeted primary schools, junior secondary classrooms (sections) for each grade (JS1 – JS3)56 will be built and in targeted junior secondary schools, senior secondary classrooms (sections) for each grade (SS1-SS3) will be built. Under this subcomponent, about 440 junior secondary schools and 220 senior secondary schools, at an estimated unit cost of US$180,000 54 Junior secondary school sections will be constructed within the compound of an existing primary school which is identified by the community as a safe location. 55 A minimum of six new classrooms to accommodate two streams, while the expansion of a junior secondary school to include senior secondary school is expected to require a minimum of 12 classrooms to accommodate four streams. 56 Junior secondary school consists of Junior Secondary 1 – Junior Secondary 3 (JSS 1 – JSS 3) grades and senior secondary school consists of Senior Secondary 1 – Senior Secondary 3 (SSS 1 – SSS3) Mar 01, 2020 Page 22 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) and US$300,000, respectively, will be constructed in six of the participating states (Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Plateau). The allocation of the new schools across the states will take into account states’ primary-to-secondary school ratio and student population, as well as security concerns. It will also align with each state’s state network of secondary school expansion strategy which will be developed with technical assistance (TA) provided under Component 3. 42. In addition to new classroom construction, the package will include other basic amenities as described below. The construction will adhere to specific standards57, follow cost-effective design models and ensure that each school will have: (i) functional classrooms (a minimum required number, see footnote below) with adequate light, good ventilation, storage and furniture; (ii) an office; (iii) a multipurpose hall; (iv) separate toilets for girls and boys; (v) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities (WASH facility construction will follow the technical guidelines and standards that have been established by the FME); and (vi) perimeter fences. In senior secondary schools, each new school will also: (vii) have a computer room or science lab; (viii) school complementarity interventions. The buildings will be designed and oriented on sites according to climatic considerations to minimize solar heat gain. The Project will use only public lands, free of squatters for the construction purposes. All construction under the project will be accessible for children and youth with disabilities, will be in a location deemed safe by the community (with a safe pathway for access from the communities to schools to minimise isolated and unsafe routes to schools) and will follow the crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles58 for adequate safety measures and provisions. Implementation arrangements 43. Junior secondary school construction: A community-led school construction modality will be used for junior secondary school construction – an approach which has been successfully implemented under the CSDP wherein a community structure has been established which successfully managed community civil works.59 As such, an existing community structure or newly-elected60 community project management committee (CPMC) for each targeted community will work closely with the relevant departments and State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU)61 to manage and oversee the construction process, including: the expression of interest (EOI); identification of primary schools for expansion; construction management; and overall supervision. The CPMC would obtain the respective SPIU’s approval to procure a building contractor as per the agreed procurement procedures. The list of schools where new construction will be undertaken will be validated by the SPIU and approved/ endorsed by the State Project Steering Committee (SPSC). Training will be provided to the CPMC on construction and environmental and social (E&S) compliance based on a training manual to be developed by specialized consultants hired by the SPIU to support implementation of this subcomponent.62 44. Specifically, in terms of construction, officers from SUBEB and the Departments of Physical Planning of the SME/State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) responsible for school construction in the 57 Constructions will adhere to minimum standards developed by UBEC which will be reviewed, updated and agreed before project effectiveness. 58 The four main principles of CPTED are: natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement and maintenance. 59 CSDP has established a fully functional community structure at the community level, validated by the community and state government. The structure has proven to be effective in carrying out civil works in their communities. 60 The SPIU and Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) in the LGA would facilitate the formation of community CPMC) in communities selected for school construction/rehabilitation in communities where they do not already exist. 61 In each of the participating states, an SPIU will be established to coordinate the overall implementation of the project. A detailed overview of the roles and responsibilities of SPIU is provided under the Implementation arrangements subsection. 62 Consultants will be hired by the SPIU to support the CPMC. Mar 01, 2020 Page 23 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) states would serve as technical focal points to the CPMC63. The E&S officers of the SPIU would review environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs)/ environmental and social management plans (ESMPs) prepared by the specialized consultants to ensure all E&S issues are adequately addressed in accordance with the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (ESS). The roles and responsibilities of CPMC, SPIU, SUBEB and the Departments of Physical Planning of the SME/State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) would be defined in the project implementation manual (PIM) to be developed for the project. 45. Senior secondary school construction: An SME- and SPIU-led approach will be used for the construction of senior secondary schools. Specifically, the SPIU will manage the construction process including: the selection of sites for new construction (requiring confirmation of land availability within the candidate junior secondary school); engagement with design consultants to adapt the standard design to be site-specific and prepare the bidding documents; undertaking of the bidding process and awarding of contracts; they will supervise the construction process by the contractor and consultants; providing payments based on the Bill of Quantities (BoQs); and undertaking efforts to ensure that the E&S safeguards standards are applied. The Bank would appoint a Third-Party Monitor to visit the construction sites on agreed frequency to review the construction quality for both Junior Secondary Schools and Senior Secondary Schools. 46. Teacher recruitment and deployment for new schools: As part of this subcomponent, participating state governments will be responsible for the recruitment, deployment and financing of approximately 2,000 secondary school teachers (not less than 50 percent of whom should be female) estimated to be needed in each state for the new junior and senior secondary schools to be constructed under this subcomponent. Under Component 3 each participating state will be provided with TA to develop a detailed and costed action plan for the recruitment, deployment and training of these new secondary school teachers.64 The process of recruitment and deployment of teachers is expected to start as soon as the construction sites have been identified and should be completed at least six months before the first school year starts in the newly built schools. Further, construction efforts will be aligned with each state’s network of secondary school expansion strategy the development of which will be supported under Component 3. Subcomponent 1.2: Improving existing infrastructure in secondary schools (US$135 million equivalent) 47. The objectives of this subcomponent are to: (i) accommodate an increase in girls’ enrolment and girls’ transition to secondary schools; and (ii) make school environment safe, accessible, inclusive and conducive to teaching and learning. It will provide school improvement grants (SIGs) to improve existing infrastructure in about 2,786 junior secondary schools and 1,914 senior secondary schools. Two types of 64 The action plan will include, among others: the commitment of each state (Governor) to hire and finance the required number of new teachers, school administrators and non-teaching staff for new junior and senior secondary schools to be constructed under the project in their respective state (including a commitment to actively hire qualified female teachers including those with disabilities) with a view to ensuring an adequate teacher-student ratio and an appropriate number of teachers by subject areas needed. 64 The action plan will include, among others: the commitment of each state (Governor) to hire and finance the required number of new teachers, school administrators and non-teaching staff for new junior and senior secondary schools to be constructed under the project in their respective state (including a commitment to actively hire qualified female teachers including those with disabilities) with a view to ensuring an adequate teacher-student ratio and an appropriate number of teachers by subject areas needed. Mar 01, 2020 Page 24 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) SIGs will be provided: a. Large infrastructure expansion SIGs to support junior and senior secondary schools that will receive beneficiaries of the Girls’ Scholarship Program (GSP) supported under Subcomponent 2.3 to reduce overcrowding of existing schools/ensure adequate spaces for students in schools. Schools that have more than 50 students per functional classroom who receive an additional 50 girls or more from the GSP will receive from $30,000 to US$60,000 to build or rehabilitate a block of three classrooms. b. Small SIGs to support: (i) improvement of WASH facilities; (ii) provision of school furniture and TLMs; and (iii) the adoption and implementation of an environmentally friendly and “whole school approach� to violence prevention and response (see Box 4). The amount of these grants will depend on the size of the school. Schools that have fewer than 250 students will receive US$8,000, those that have between 250 and 400 students will receive US$12,000, and those schools that have more than 400 students will receive US$16,000. 48. The larger grants for building/rehabilitation of classrooms (described in (a) above) will be targeted towards schools in LGAs where scholarships for girls will be provided under Subcomponent 2.3 (GSP) to accommodate increased enrolment. More than 760 schools will receive these grants. The small grants (described in (b) above) will be provided to all junior and senior secondary schools. 49. Implementation arrangements: The SIGs will be provided to finance an approved school improvement plan (SIP) to be developed by each respective school’s School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) (which for many schools are already in place) and endorsed by the SPIU. SBMCs will be responsible for both SIP development and SIG management and will be provided training in both SIP development and SIG utilization and management. To be eligible for a grant, an SBMC must: (a) be fully functional; (b) have a bank account at a commercial bank; (c) have received training as described above; and (d) have a costed SIP, approved by the SPIU. Grants will be provided to the SBMC in two to three tranches, first when the grant is approved and second and third when percent of the output has been completed. A key required element of the SIP will be efforts/activities to facilitate the “whole school approach�. It is critical that SIP includes measures to increase girls’ attendance and include activities and measures to promote inclusion and prevent violence and promote safety – in line with the “whole school approach� as described in Box 4 in the main text. The SIPs will include establishment of confidential and student-friendly reporting mechanisms for referral, counselling and support systems for students who feel unsafe or who have experienced violence including GBV. SBMCs would be responsible for implementing construction under this Subcomponent and if the SBMC lacks technical capacity, it would appoint a local engineer consultant for technical support after obtaining approval from SPIU. Mar 01, 2020 Page 25 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Box 4. Safe schools under the proposed AGILE Project The proposed project will support a Whole School Approach that involves empowering all stakeholders (e.g., school heads, teachers, administrative staff, students, parents and community members) working towards a shared vision of violence prevention and reduction and is comprised of comprehensive activities with the involvement of “stakeholders who are important in a young person’s life�. Such an approach is supported through activities under all project components as described below. • Focal points, policies and teachers’ codes of conduct: Schools will develop a -specific policy against violence, positive behavior expectations and a code of conduct (CoC) (that will include an administrative Accountability and Response Framework - with enforcement mechanisms - that, among other elements, prohibits sexual harassment and identifies GBV Reporting and Allegation Procedures referral pathways to GBV service providers, enforcement mechanisms and sanctions). These CoCs will be comprehensive and will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed. Beyond the strengthening and signing of CoCs, training will be provided to new and existing teachers, school staff and SBMCs on the CoCs. Female counselors who will provide Life Skills Training under Subcomponent 2.2 will be trained in GBV/SEA prevention and response, and they will be a focal point of contact for both students and teachers who may experience violence, to ensure confidential support without any repercussions. • GBV/SEA awareness: One module of the curriculum will focus on GBV awareness and prevention. Girls will be provided with a ‘safe space’ to discuss their shared experiences and perceptions with peers and a trained female counselor. Girls will learn how to identify abusive situations, avoid risky situations, will be informed about their rights and where to seek help from identified people in the school community, such as the female counselors. Boys will also be trained in GBV prevention and awareness, including issues related to toxic masculinity and unequal power and gender dynamics and how they can support violence prevention efforts. Further, it is expected that as part of the social mobilization campaigns, conversations and workshops at the LGA/community-level will strengthen community knowledge and capacity to identify and confidentially refer incidents to the appropriate GBV providers and if survivors wish to report the incident, refer them to the appropriate authorities. • Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) for reporting/responding to violence and other issues: Clear, safe, accessible procedures to report GBV or other complaints will be established. The Project-specific GRM will include protocols specific to GBV complaints that will respect informed consent and confidentiality and will connect survivors to women’s and children’s rights organizations or GBV service providers that understand and operate within a survivor-centered approach. Provisions to escalate these issues through the GRM, where survivors wish to issue a complaint, will be integrated in the school and GRM systems. In addition, a referral pathway for students to access GBV and other social services (health, psychosocial support, etc.) will be established at the school level. GBV-related complaints will only provide information on the nature of the complaint (what the complainant says in her/his own words). GRM operators will be trained on how to deal with violence and especially GBV-related complaints. • Adapting school buildings/grounds: SBMCs and students will participate in mapping exercises to identify safe/unsafe zones within and going to/from school and to ensure rehabilitation/construction design accounts for how students and teachers conceive of a safer school, including well-lit and separate toilets and perimeter fencing. This mapping will be conducted prior to construction/rehabilitation to inform design features. Construction is expected to adhere to CPTED principles. SBMCs will work closely with the Safety subcommittee (as described below) to ensure these elements are integrated into the construction plans and/or SIP, as appropriate. Each SBMC will establish a “Safety Sub-committee� whose primary role will be to ensure that - CoCs and other policies established to prevent violence, enhance positive discipline practices and ensure the schools are: inclusive of all children, including, children with disabilities; well known by various stakeholders; implementing policies as required and documented. Support will be provided to the Safety Sub-Committee by the SPIUs Gender Desks. Mar 01, 2020 Page 26 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Component 2: Fostering an enabling environment for girls (US$140 million equivalent) 50. This component aims to galvanize support for girls’ education and empowerment among families, communities and schools by addressing demand-side constraints to girls’ participation in education. Specifically, this Component will: (a) support information, awareness and communication activities to shift social norms and community’s perceptions of the role of girls and the value of girls’ secondary education; (b) provide girls with relevant life skills and digital literacy; and (c) provide assistance to families to remove financial barriers to secondary education. Subcomponent 2.1: Promoting social and behaviour change through communications campaigns, engagement with traditional rulers, and advocacy (US$25 million equivalent) 51. The objective of this subcomponent is to promote a shift in social and cultural norms and perceptions which act as barriers to girls’ schooling through communications campaigns and advocacy – to promote girls’ education and empowerment. Specifically, the subcomponent seeks to address the cultural, social and religious norms that may impede girls’ access to education and to emphasize the need to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for all children. The project will carry out strategic communications campaigns at the federal and state levels with an overall objective of behavioral change, awareness-raising and project information dissemination. Campaigns will also promote the importance of girls’ education and highlight the need for a safe, enabling and inclusive learning environment, including prevention and mitigation of GBV/SEA, and ensuring a specific focus on the inclusion of children with disabilities to help dispel existing myths and to address discrimination. The subcomponent will support the following three activities. 52. Communications campaign at the national level (US$10 million equivalent). This campaign will be carried out at the national level using media, special brand and digital platforms focusing on the benefits of girls’ education and empowerment. The campaign will feature a series of edutainment activities which will include a national debate, sports competitions and an awareness-raising platform to showcase the benefits of girls’ education and empowerment. Girls will feature on different platforms to promote education and this will be aired on media platforms for wider publicity. 53. State-level community engagement and communications/awareness campaigns (US$12 million equivalent). Each state will carry out state-level community engagement and awareness campaigns. Messages will be conveyed to parents, families, traditional rulers and community members by key stakeholders including local religious and traditional leaders (RTLs), women’s groups65, ward development committees and SBMCs. These messages will be conveyed through community dialogue and fora, house to house (H2H) campaigns, and engaging specific groups (e.g., boys’ and men’s groups) on barriers girls face in accessing secondary education and the community’s role in making schools safe and inclusive. Messages from influential RTLs, media personalities, and leaders on social media will be amplified using digital platforms and these messages will be integrated into radio dramas, jingles, television soap operas, and social media. Students will also be encouraged to carry out social responsibility activities in their neighbourhood communities to increase climate change awareness. TA will also be provided by a consulting firm with expertise on communications in each state to work with the respective departments and SPIU in designing and producing creative local media content and messaging. 65Group of mothers from communities forming associations to support their daughters’ retention in school and encouraging other parents in the community to do the same. Mothers’ Association are strong and active in states like Kebbi. Mar 01, 2020 Page 27 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) 54. National and state-level engagement, advocacy and sensitization (US$3 million equivalent). These efforts aim to expand and technically strengthen networks and platforms of influential voices to advocate for policies at the national and state levels towards increased coordination and effective policies for girls’ education and empowerment. The networks comprising RTLs and civil society advocates will strategically expand engagement at the Federal and state levels using evidence to deepen consideration, adoption and implementation of key policy decisions by key stakeholders to include government. To this end, this subcomponent will: (a) develop new platforms and strengthen existing ones to support strategic policy advocacy that will encourage formal institutions to adopt policies and implement activities supporting girls’ education and empowerment; (b) provide capacity-building support to relevant government officials to ensure effective and impactful communications on these issues; and (c) support opportunities for high-level policy dialogue, fora for communications among key stakeholders, and national and state level relevant activities. A communications firm with expertise in policy advocacy will be contracted to support the implementation of some of the advocacy elements of the subcomponent at the federal level. 55. Implementation arrangements: The communication campaigns at the national level and the advocacy for policy implementation at the national and state levels will have a wide reach covering all participating states and will be implemented by the Communications Department and Gender Unit within the FME with the support of the NPCU. Community engagement and awareness campaigns at the state level will cover six states (excluding Ekiti where the junior-to-senior secondary transition rates are relatively higher) and will reach all LGAs in these states. Increased attention will be given to poor LGAs and communities benefitting from the GSP supported under Subcomponent 2.3. The Social Mobilization and Communications Departments within the SMEs and SUBEB will be responsible for the implementation of this activity with the support of SPIUs. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be engaged in each state to implement the community engagement and mobilization aspects. Subcomponent 2.2: Empowering girls with critical life skills and knowledge for navigating adulthood and digital literacy (US$35 million equivalent) 56. The objective of this subcomponent is to empower girls with different skill sets which will be useful as they transit to adulthood. The subcomponent has two main activities: (a) life skills and (b) digital literacy skills. Life skills66 are critical in building girls’ capacity and confidence to effectively navigate the transition to adulthood and the workplace. In addition, elements to raise awareness of climate change and effective actions will be integrated into the life skills training programs. Under this subcomponent, support will also be provided to implement a training program to promote digital literacy for all girls and boys in targeted schools. Life skills training (US$15 million equivalent) 57. A “safe spaces� 67 approach will be used to deliver life skills training in schools. The life skills 66 Life skills are a “broad set of social and behavioral skills – also referred to as “soft� or “non-cognitive� skills that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands of everyday life. Life skills include those related to decision-making, community living, and personal awareness and management such as self-determination. 67 A safe space refers to an adolescent girls’ group that meets over an extended period of time to learn under the mentorship of a trained female community member on a range of topics – including health, menstruation, hygiene, self-confidence and leadership. The safe space groups are female only spaces comprised of groups of girls and young women who meet on a weekly basis at a designated time and location of their choice for two hours with a mentor. The groups are segmented by age (10 to 14, Mar 01, 2020 Page 28 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) training program curriculum will cover four main modules: (i) life skills key topics (e.g., conflict resolution, self-determination, conflict resolution, confidence, negotiations and leadership); (ii) health awareness (e.g., basic health promotion, nutrition, reproductive health, basic hygiene, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and (iii) GBV/SEA awareness and safety (e.g., approaches to prevent, mitigate and respond to GBV/SEA, linkages to a referral system for additional social services) and (iv) climate change (including awareness-raising and climate change adaptation approaches and skills). Trainings will also incorporate non-discrimination sensitization focused on marginalized groups, such as girls with disabilities. Teachers, with a focus on female counsellors from guidance and counselling units, will receive training in identifying children and youth who are experiencing psychological distress and in providing psychosocial support, particularly in the context of trauma in conflict affected state and due to the COVID- 19 crisis. The training will be provided to all girls in schools to build their knowledge, skills and confidence in navigating life's challenges while building their social networks. 58. Implementation arrangements: This activity will be implemented by the Guidance and Counselling Unit within each SME (supported by the SPIU and an identified implementing partner) in a phased manner. In the first year of project implementation, the curriculum will be developed followed by the training of trainers and training of female counsellors in at least 10 percent of junior and senior secondary schools in targeted areas. Following an evaluation of the training, it will be adjusted accordingly, and scaled up to cover all secondary schools in each participating state. Digital literacy training and remote learning platform (US$20 million equivalent) 59. The objective of this component is to support the provision of basic digital literacy training and to establish a remote learning platform for secondary school students. 60. Specifically, digital literacy training will: 1) equip students with digital literacy training that includes: (a) use of digital mobile devices; (b) searching, locating, assessing and critically evaluating information found on the web; (c) navigating successfully the non-linear medium of digital space; (d) learning, reading and deducing information from visuals and audio; (e) creating new learning outputs using digital technology; and (f) access to online content; networking and collaborating. Training will also be provided in online safety to prevent adolescents from predatorial behavior and exploitation. Training will be provided on electronic tablets with relevant applications and an internet connection. It is expected that students will receive at least two to three hours of basic digital literacy training per week. The subcomponent will finance costs and equipment of the training, including the purchase of electronic tablets with appropriate applications and internet connectivity. The digital literacy training will initially be provided in 760 senior secondary schools. 61. To respond to the needs that have become increasingly apparent during the COVID-19 crisis, this subcomponent will also support a blended learning approach using technology and media (Television, Radio) to implement remote and distance learning programs. This activity will establish a remote distance learning platform to ensure that the gender divide is not further exacerbated during and after the extended lock down periods. All students particularly young girls will have access to education regardless of their geographical location. Specifically, they will be provided with digital platform that includes: (i) a blended learning approach, using technology to access remote learning programs; (ii) accessibility in both 15 to 19 and 20-year-olds). They are also grouped according to characteristics and social circumstances so that the girls and young women can interact with others with whom they share similar life experiences. Mar 01, 2020 Page 29 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) an offline and online environment ensuring that students benefit from inclusive learning experiences in both content and access to digital materials; and (iii) lessons to be broadcast by subject by grade through radio and TV for students to catch up on the learning they lost due to school closures. 62. An integrated remote learning method will be developed to provide access to quality learning in both an offline and online environment ensuring that students benefit from inclusive learning experiences in both content and access to digital materials. As such, a learning management system (LMS) will be designed for the centralized administration and management of the courses and curriculum content based on students’ performance. A digital curriculum will be developed that includes syllabus and content across digital learning streams to enable conversion of physical content into digital forms for students’ remote learning. The content will be rebuilt into media audio-visual content (which can also be used for broadcasting on TV and Radio). The design of this activity has taken into account the poor power supply and limited internet connectivity. In order to ensure inclusive access regardless of connectivity, students will be able to access learning material that can be downloaded offline. Lesson that are uploaded will be pre-recorded in both audio and video formats using interactive platforms to respond to questions from students. 63. Implementation arrangements: The project, through a technical implementing partner, will provide training to computer teachers in school to a) build their capacity on using technology for remote teaching; and b) enhance their digital literacy skills and developing their capacity on the relevant digital literacy curriculum. The LMS platform designed under this activity will be managed centrally by the SME and SUBEB. The digital literacy training will be provided through an eco-system approach utilizing expertise in the FME/SME, local universities’ information technology (IT) departments, local IT training firms and NGOs. The SPIU and relevant departments will engage with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and Nigeria Communications Commission to ensure that any infrastructure roll out or special projects will factor in the connectivity needs for the participating schools. Subcomponent 2.3 Providing financial incentives to the poorest households (US$80 million equivalent) 64. The objective of this sub-component is to address demand side financial barriers to girls’ entry to and completion of secondary school. To reduce direct and indirect costs related to girls’ enrolment, attendance and completion, the proposed subcomponent will provide support to alleviate the financial burden households face in sending their girls to school through a Girls Scholarship Program (GSP). The subcomponent will financially incentivize girls’ transition to junior and senior secondary school and their attendance and completion of secondary school. 65. The incentive will include an initial amount of N5000 (US$14)68 which will be provided upon a girl’s registration in the program at the end of primary school (P6) or at the end of junior secondary school. The second tranche of N10,000 to N15000 (US$42) will be provided on successful transition to the next grade (i.e., JS1 or SS1), respectively. The remaining two tranches of N5000 will be provided at the end of each school term to incentivize retention upon verification of fulfilment of scholarship conditions. Priority for accessing the financial incentive will be given to eligible poor and vulnerable households captured in the NSR, (established by the National Social Safety Net Program – NASSP). In addition, other households in same LGAs not captured in the NSR but residing in wards and communities with high level of poverty and 69 During project preparation, states have expressed their preference for specific achievements that they would like to incentivize under this sub-component, for example, Kaduna state would like to incentivize student performance in school (not specifically retention while Kano would like to incentive girls’ retention through this financial support package. Mar 01, 2020 Page 30 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) other forms of vulnerability including low level of school transition rate for girls will be supported. To address risks related to social conflicts over the perceived unfairness of who is eligible to participate in the GSP, extensive stakeholder engagement with parents/guardians and communities will be undertaken to clearly communicate criteria for the GSP. 66. This intervention will be implemented in targeted LGAs in six states participating in the proposed AGILE Project (excluding Ekiti), initially focusing in LGAs included in the NSR. Within these LGAs, girls enrolled in primary schools that are within 6 km of a junior secondary school and girls enrolled in junior secondary schools will be eligible to participate in the program. Girls in primary 6 (P6) and junior secondary school 3 (JSS3) will be registered to be eligible for the scholarship. Girls that have dropped out but re- enrolled, will also be eligible. Those from poor and vulnerable households registered through the NSR will be targeted as a priority. Further, wards and communities that have high levels of poverty and vulnerability will also be targeted. Four cohorts of 105,000 girls transitioning from P6 to JS1 (a total of 420,000 girls) will be targeted effectively doubling the junior secondary enrolment in these LGAs. Further, three cohorts of 45,000 girls transitioning from JS3 to SS 1 (a total of 135,000 girls) will also be targeted. The unit cost per girl ranges from US$70 to US$196 depending on the number of years the girls stays in the program during the project years. 67. Implementation arrangements. The Department of Scholarships within SME and other relevant departments will be responsible for managing the program supported by the SPIU. Activities will include the registration of eligible girls, verification of achievement of conditions, and authorizing transfers (through Financial Service Providers – FSPs) to mothers of beneficiary girls or their caregiver. During the targeting and implementation process, SPIU will work closely with the relevant departments and partners on the NASSP in the States and LGAs. The scholarship program guidelines will be developed and will include all relevant program details (e.g., targeting process at the household level, minimum requirements girls must meet in order to be eligible related to school attendance and performance, etc. to be tracked by the school69 as well as the payment processes, monitoring, and reporting). These guidelines will be developed as part of the PIM. Component 3: Project management and system strengthening (US$35 million equivalent) 68. This component aims to support institutional capacity building at the federal, state and local levels to manage, implement and provide oversight for the proposed AGILE Project. It also aims to build on and contribute to the evidence-base on effective sustainable approaches to promoting girls’ education while also building capacity to carry out these activities and others which support girls’ education and empowerment. Subcomponent 3.1. System strengthening for sustainability and TA (US$15 million equivalent) 69. This subcomponent will support efforts to strengthen the institutional capacity of federal and state governments to support girls’ education and empowerment. It will support the federal government and participating states in establishing a comprehensive secondary EMIS to collect data on an annual basis for planning and decision making. Data will be used to track progress on girls’ education outcomes including diagnosing gender gaps and identifying girls who might need targeted support. TA will be 69 During project preparation, states have expressed their preference for specific achievements that they would like to incentivize under this sub-component, for example, Kaduna state would like to incentivize student performance in school (not specifically retention while Kano would like to incentive girls’ retention through this financial support package. Mar 01, 2020 Page 31 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) provided to the Federal and States Governments to include: (i) capacity building in key functional areas at the federal and state levels to support program implementation; (ii) strategy development (on girls’ empowerment, the secondary school network expansion, disarticulation of secondary school among others); (iii) strengthening data collection and analysis on secondary education data, including support to the EMIS); (iv) research and evaluation activities to inform scale up of project-supported activities; (v) support policies and interventions to respond to COVID-19 and its impact on the education sector; and (v) communications activities to be undertaken at the federal and state levels. It will also support and facilitate knowledge-transfer and -sharing through trainings and learning events to bring federal, state governments and other stakeholders together towards commitment to girls’ education and empowerment. This subcomponent will be implemented by relevant departments (EMIS, policy and research) supported by NPCU and each SPIU. Subcomponent 3.2. Project management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) (US$20 million equivalent) 70. The main objectives of this subcomponent are to support both federal and participating state governments for effective project coordination, procurement, financial management (FM), Environmental and Social Standards (ESS), M&E, and project communications. This subcomponent will also finance the investment and non-salary operating costs associated with both the NPCU and the SPIUs including office equipment, software, furniture, vehicles, auditing services, training and seminars related to project implementation, and operating costs of the NPUCs and SPIUs. Technical support for project management and implementation will be provided by consultants or firms specializing in project implementation (e.g., financial management, procurement, engineers), E&S, specialized areas (including GBV/SEA)70 and M&E (e.g., M&E specialist, third-party monitoring71), as needed. Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) (estimated IDA contribution US$0 million equivalent) 71. CERC will be included under the proposed project in accordance with OP 8.00 to help the Government improve response times in the event of future situations where urgent assistance is needed. The CERC allows for rapid reallocation of project proceeds in the event of a current or future natural or man-made disaster or crisis that has caused or is likely imminently to cause a major adverse economic and/or social impact. This component will have no funding allocation initially. In the event of a future emergency, it could be used to draw resources from the unallocated expenditure category and/or allow the Government to request the World Bank to re-categorize and reallocate financing from other project components to cover emergency response and recovery costs, if approved by the World Bank. While the CERC will provide flexibility in responding to this and other crises, should they arise. The proposed project will support a number of activities to limit the impact of the crisis on the lives of children and their families 70 TA to interagency mechanisms will also focus on strengthening their ability to prevent and respond to GBV/SEA 71Third party monitoring will also be used to ease implementation and supervision in Borno state and other hard-to-supervise areas, including ensuring measures to prevent and mitigate GBV/SEA are adhered to. Mar 01, 2020 Page 32 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) as well as the education sector, more generally (see Box 5 below). Box 5: COVID-19 Pandemic and AGILE responses The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures worldwide including in Nigeria, where schools have been closed for several weeks. This crisis can be expected to result loss of learning and threatens to reverse education outcomes and gains achieved. In addition to limited opportunities to continue schooling, particularly for children in poorer households, similar crises have shown that frequently children’s attachment to school can diminish result in higher dropout rates. In times of such crisis, when schools close and economic opportunities diminish, adolescent girls’ vulnerability can be heightened. COVID-19 state plans: Many state governments are stepping up getting creative and developing solutions to keep students learning amid school closures. They developed COVID response plans that includes key interventions to deliver some form of remote, online learning to students such as; online platform for secondary school teachers to deliver short lessons and tutorials; broadcast of recorded lessons on TV stations, Radio Station, URL, WhatsApp and emails; media sensitization for parents and SBMCs to prepare for a long-term school closure and opening after COVID 19; supporting mass media education activities for sensitization on COVID 19, including social distance and WASH (hand washing etc). Under the proposed project, in addition to supporting states to implement COVID response plans, the following short, medium- and long-term measures will be supported through each component to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on children’s learning and overall well-being as described below: • Component 1: Support will be provided to facilitate school re-opening and to ensure that each school has WASH facilities and adequate sanitation measures in place. Schools will be encouraged to include measures to promote hygiene in schools (e.g., sensitization, awareness-raising on hand washing, purchase of soap and other cleaning materials). • Component 2: As part of the communications campaigns, awareness raising will focus on promoting: promoting hygienic practices to prevent COVID transmission; providing parents with strategies to support positive coping amongst children; and in encouraging adolescents, including girls, to return to school. In the COVID-19 context, mobile delivery modes (text messaging, chatlines, and apps) and virtual mentoring/student meeting groups—will be supported to help diffuse information on a range of topics and connect girls to important education platforms. Under Life skills subcomponent; female teachers will be trained in providing not only health information (as part of the life skills training) but in identifying children experiencing psychological distress and providing psychosocial support. Specific focused will be given on mentoring, support networks, and relevant life skills topics e.g. health, nutrition (including having it in a virtual format to help reach girls in the context of confinement due to COVID). Under financial incentives subcomponent; cash transfers to mothers can also be used as a tool for economic recovery to fuel household economy. For families to maximize the positive impacts from cash transfers, it will be provided on a quarterly basis. Digital skills training and the creation of a remote distance e-learning platform will facilitate continued long-term learning through, among others, blended learning approach, access to online and offline learning (with access to digital materials) and lessons broadcast on radio and TV. • Component 3: TA will be provided to the FME and SME in developing policies and approaches to respond to the crisis in the short, medium and longer term – including the development of school re-openings strategies, identifying and addressing learning gaps, encouraging re-enrollment with a focus on vulnerable youth and undertaking communications related to these areas. FME and SME will also be supported to respond to the COVID-19 in the short term through broadcasting of lessons on TV and radio stations for students to catch up on lost time for learning and to support education systems that are expected to be weakened by as a result of budget cuts and economic damage. It will also support increasing preparedness of the sector to respond to future crisis such as this, including the re-emergence of COVID. • Implementation: The implementation of all project components will be made flexible to accommodate changes that may arise in order to cope or respond to the crisis, including the use of implementing partners, retroactive financing etc and to support schools to be ready for reopening. . . Mar 01, 2020 Page 33 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Legal Operational Policies Triggered? Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No Summary of Assessment of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts . 72. The overall environmental and social risk impacts of the project are likely to be substantial. Environmental Risk Rating: 73. The overall environmental and social (E&S) risk impacts of the project is Substantial. given that the project’s primary beneficiaries are vulnerable (adolescent girls), geographical area of the project will be implemented in seven participating States (including states affected by conflict and violence), in multiple schools where there is potential for a wide range of impacts to occur, which the Borrower has limited and varied capacity across states, to manage. In addition, because the number of people likely to be affected is significant, there will also be potential for social conflict and safety issues given that some communities may be in conflict about the social norms being advocated for, and others may feel aggrieved if they do not benefit from the construction of schools in their communities. Furthermore, the laws underpinning E&S requirements for the project are weakly enforced. 74. Supervision of the project will also represent a challenge for the NPCU due to the need to monitor a range of impacts in seven States of the country. Furthermore, challenges in project implementation could include insecurity, GBV SEA risks, potential for social conflicts of which there is limited local capacity to systematically mitigate these risks. To identify and prevent potential E&S risks and impacts, the project has prepared and disclosed an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) and Labor Management Procedures (LMP) before appraisal to identify and mitigate social risks and impacts. To actively address the social risks, the Borrower has prepared an ‘expanded ESMF’ within which a social assessment is embedded. The assessment helps the Borrower understand the key social inclusion and social risk issues and determine the potential impacts on different stakeholders. Similarly, as required, by the Bank’s “Good Practice Note� for addressing GBV, the Borrower undertook a GBV Assessment which identifies risks and mitigation measures; as such appropriate mitigation plans have been incorporated into project design and the assessment and costed action plan that will inform measures to prevent and respond to GBV during implementation and will be adjusted as needed during the life of the project. ESS1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts: 75. Assessment and management of E&S risks and impacts are required for the whole project, but at this stage, the activities of Subcomponent 1.1 are identified as the most likely to generate E&S risks and impacts. Subcomponent 1.1 will include civil works to build new or rehabilitate existing secondary schools (classrooms, offices, multi-purpose labs, latrines), while Subcomponent 1.2 will improve learning conditions. Furthermore, the project will also engage in behavioral change campaigns, which will be Mar 01, 2020 Page 34 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) instrumental in mitigating some exclusion and community conflict risks, along with an early, continuous and inclusive SEP which the Borrower has prepared. 76. The proposed project will make use of ESS1 to assess and manage risks and impacts such as waste and wastewater, sewage, and safety (e.g., electrical, fire, safe materials such as no lead-based paint, traffic safety) of the students. The Borrower has prepared an ESMF that outlines the principles, procedures, timing and steps that will be taken in preparing site specific safeguards instruments (ESIA, ESMP site- specific RAPs, etc.) during project implementation. In addition, an Environment and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) has been prepared by the Borrower and sets out the client’s commitments to prepare and implement E&S instruments throughout the lifecycle of the project. 77. The site-specific Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) will include clearly defined mitigation measures for construction and operational phases, roles and responsibilities, timetables, budgets and implementation arrangements for each mitigation measure recommended, and will be prepared once sites are identified and before civil works begin. Construction contractors will be required, as a condition of their contracts with the project, to implement and comply with the ESMP, including LMP and Occupational Health and Safety measures outlined in the ESMF. The site-specific ESMPs developed by the SPIUs will define mitigation measures in addressing social risks/impacts, with assigned responsibilities including procedures for responding to risks of SEA. The ESMP will make use of the general and sector-specific Environmental Health and Safety Guideline (EHSGs) for the identified activities in relation to occupational and community health and safety. 78. The proposed project is expected to primarily benefit adolescent girls to improve their secondary education opportunities. It proposes to do so through the construction and rehabilitation of schools, the provision of financial packages to families, engaging in behavioral change campaigns and providing girls with life and digital literacy training. The major social risks could include: school-based violence that may be inflicted by fellow students (e.g., bullying) or teachers (e.g., corporal punishment); and acquisition of land for the rehabilitation/construction of schools that may result in physical and/or economic displacement (due to the potential of displaced persons occupying derelict school facilities); exclusion of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups (e.g., internally displaced people - IDPs) from the benefits of the project; labor influx that may heighten risks of SEA and GBV associated with any construction workforce, teachers, fellow students and community members; inter/intra-community level conflicts that may arise from the promotion of social norms given existing patriarchal norms and/or isolation or stigmatization of persons/communities (especially adolescent girls) who endorse norms; Inter-Personal Violence (IPV) arising from, or exacerbated by, the distribution of financial support packages to families; risks of elite capture/corruption in the transfers of SIGs managed by SBMCs and/or support packages to families; community disputes about the rationale for beneficiary targeting and, challenges to adequate implementation supervision and risks to beneficiaries in conflict/fragile states. 79. These risks are however largely site-specific and not likely cumulative so can, therefore, be mitigated. Cognizant of these social risks, the project has prepared relevant instruments, plans and actions to address social risks flagged and associated with the project. To address GBV risks, the project will develop CoCs, and an accountability and response framework that identifies clear enforcement mechanisms and a CoC that, among other elements, prohibit sexual harassment, sexual contact with students, or other abuses of students/teachers and provide training and sensitization to teachers, students, parents and the wider community on the codes of conduct. This training is currently underway Mar 01, 2020 Page 35 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) and will be completed in the initial phase of the project. The project will establish clear, confidential, safe, accessible procedures to report GBV and determine information-sharing agreements that could be communicated to the project GRM. 80. For other project-specific grievances, the Project will set-up a GRM to allow all aggrieved persons to lodge their complaints and receive feedback in a timely manner. The GRM will: (a) provide information on project implementation; (b) provide clear procedures for resolving grievances and disputes at the communities where the sub-projects will be implemented; (c) resolve disputes in a timely and effective manner; (d) build trust with project beneficiaries and stakeholders for their buy-ins; and (e) allow communities to express views, on project activities (e.g., civil work quality, malpractices). The mechanism is envisaged to be at multiple levels (community, LGA, state, national) and will address complaints, including lodging, tracking, and resolving grievances during and project implementation according to a specific specified grievance redressal mechanism timeframe. 81. During implementation, the project will identify and designate at least one counselor (for instance, the female counselors for the ‘safe spaces’) who can be a first point of contact for students who report sexual harassment in each school. This will ensure that students can be provided confidential support and tools to help them without any negative repercussions. Teachers, with a focus on counselors, will also receive training in identifying children and youth experiencing psychological distress and in providing psychosocial support. In case beneficiaries wish to escalate some complaints, the project GRM will include protocols specific to GBV complaints that would allow for confidential reporting and can connect survivors to women’s and children’s rights organizations (preferably specialized in GBV) or groups who can refer them to support services. Provisions to escalate these issues through the GRM will be integrated so that SPIU and NPCU can respond in real time. 82. The Government has developed a costed GBV Action plan. This plan will be included as part of the PIM. The plan details how the participating States and other partners will put in place the necessary protocols and mechanisms to address the GBV risks; and, how to address any GBV incidents that may arise. Further, the plan provides an indication of resources required to implement risk mitigation measures. To address labor related risks, an LMP have been developed as a chapter in the ESMF. The LMP will be further updated as required in the PIM. In addition, a GRM specifically for direct and contracted and community workers will be provided. As mentioned above, the project will build on existing structures to set up a project specific GRM for people to report concerns or complaints, if they feel unfairly treated or are negatively affected by the project. 83. To address security risks, notably in Borno but also in other states affected by violence, a Security Risk Assessment will be conducted within the first six months of effectiveness. A Security Management Plan will be prepared as a part of the site-specific ESMPs to address potential security risks and issues in managing the risks of the use of security personnel. Third party monitoring will also be used in hard to supervise areas of the projects, with special attention to monitoring the implementation of GBV/SEA Action Plan (i.e. prevention and mitigation measures developed on the basis of the GBV Assessment). 84. Inclusive Education: The proposed project will support the Government in integrating people with disabilities in school. The school construction, SIGs, scholarships and other interventions supported under the project aiming at increasing the participation of girls have been designed to promote inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities. To fill prevailing knowledge gaps, the proposed project will fund a study assessing barriers and opportunities for girls with disabilities to access secondary education. Mar 01, 2020 Page 36 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) On the basis of study findings, the proposed project will try to address some of the issues identified during MTR; specifically targeting adolescent girls with disabilities under the GSP ensuring qualified female teachers with disabilities are well supported and ensuring counselors leading the ‘safe space sessions’ incorporate non-discrimination sensitization related to persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups (e.g., IDPs). Close co-operation with other donors supporting inclusive education and providing targeted support to vulnerable groups will also inform the proposed project’s efforts to promote inclusion. 85. GBV/ SEA: The proposed project will support a whole school approach to preventing violence including GBV/SEA in schools. As described earlier, this approach supports the development of a shared vision towards violence reduction and response. Elements of this approach are integrated into project- supported activities, including online learning where training will also be provided in online safety to prevent adolescents from predatorial behavior and exploitation. The whole school approach, which includes “comprehensive activities to help prevent violence and which involve stakeholders who are important in a young person’s life� has been found to be more effective than focusing on one particular group. These activities and efforts will be aligned with the safe space sessions – where girls will be provided with GBV awareness and information and a referral pathway for girls wanting additional support or needing access to additional social or health services will be established. This approach has been implemented in a number of low-resource settings and will be adapted to the Nigerian context. In addition, states’ action plans on GBV is in the process of being developed and will guide specific action to prevent and mitigate GBV moving forward. A detailed description of activities and implementation will be further included by appraisal and elaborated in the PIM. 86. The project will also conduct a mapping of GBV service providers in the relevant participating states and will liaise with, and build on, ongoing Bank-supported projects. Service mapping will include medical care (CMR and care for survivors of Intimate Partner Violence), case management and psychosocial support services, safety and security, including availability safe accommodation arrangements for temporary physical safety of survivors at risks of physical harm, protection, and legal services) and informal resources (including services such as the existing community based mechanisms, and actors such as community based organizations (CBO), women’s groups, trusted individuals such as people who have been champions to speak out about positive male norms, and the unacceptability of SEA and other forms of GBV. Religious leaders and community leaders that survivors of SEA and other forms of GBV72can have access to in the intervened area of the project using the survivor-centered and rights- based approach. 87. Citizen Engagement. Citizen engamement (CE) will be crucial to achieving the project’s objectives, addressing social and environmental risks and other challenges that the project may face as well as ensuring the inclusion of the most vulnerable potential beneficiaries. CE is especially key with regard to changing non-positive attitudes and behaviors about girls access to secondary education – primarily through the use of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Subcomponent 2.1 Promoting social and behaviour change through communications campaigns, engagement with traditional rulers and advocacy. 72 Sexual exploitation and abuse will beunderstood as a facet of Gender Based Violence that is defined as any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual purposes, including but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. Sexual abuse is further defined as “The actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions� (IASC 2016). In th e context of Bank-supported projects, SEA occurs against a beneficiary or member of the community. The UN considers all sexual activity with someone younger than 18 to be sexual abuse. Mar 01, 2020 Page 37 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) CE will be key in ascertaining key project risks as the communities see them throughout the project cycle; ensuring concerns of communities are acknowledged and addressed; informing better targeting mechanisms for financial packages, school identification, provision of scholarships and identifing the best community-led monitoring mechanisms of activities. Engagement should also seek inputs from stakeholders on how to develop an adaptive behavioral campaign that addresses differentiated concerns in communities, and the likely varied adoption rates of social norms as well as how to strenghthen the projects ‘whole school approach.’ 88. Climate screening: Nigeria is highly vulnerable to climate change and is classified as one of the ten most vulnerable countries in the world, according to the 2017 Climate Change Vulnerability Index. For women and girls, the impact is frequently magnified as there is a direct relationship between women’s empowerment and climate change. Women and girls are more exposed and vulnerable to climate change because they depend more on natural resources for their livelihoods, receive less education and are often poorer. Mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation skills in the education system will help accelerate growth, create jobs and preparing the country to combat climate change. 89. The overall risk to the outcome of the project is considered Moderate as project design will incorporate efforts to reduce risks associated with the project, avoid geophysical hazards and mitigate against these risks. The project approach to construction aims to ensure that construction is “climate safe� by building and replace or improve inadequate or degraded school infrastructure and the use of climate resilience infrastructure in the event of future extreme weather events. The project also aims to increase awareness of climate change and support the beneficiaries in acquiring climate change adaptation skills through the life skills training program. Interventions under the project also support measures to limit the potential impact of the project on the environment, for example, using energy-saving measures as possible (including the use of solar systems and energy saving bulbs). Further, the project aims to build awareness and action in schools and communities through the application of a climate safe approach to construction, ensuring school activities supported under the SIP are environmentally friendly, and identifying a climate champion at the school-level. Mar 01, 2020 Page 38 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) .. G. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 90. The proposed project will be implemented at the federal and state levels. The following states will participate in the project: Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau. In each participating state, the implementation of the project will be carried out by the state and local governments, working closely with communities and participating schools. 91. Federal level. The FMF will be the representative of the Borrower as it related to the financial and legal obligations of the Government. The FME will have oversight and a coordinating and monitoring role in the Project and be responsible for the implementation of specific activities (e.g., communications activities under Subcomponent 2.1 and Component 3). Financial arrangements at the federal level (and FM related to Subcomponent 2.1) will be managed by the Federal Project Financial Management Department (FPFMD). a. The National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) will be established at the federal level to provide oversight of the project and review and share information about project performance at the Federal and State levels. It will be chaired by the Honorable Federal Minister of Education or his or her representative and would include representatives from key ministries relevant to the project design including: Ministers of: The Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs (FMWA), Ministry of Youth (FMOY), Federal Ministry of Health (MOH), and Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FMHDSD), and Commissioners of Education from the participating states. The FMF will be a member of the NPSC and will be expected to provide support to the proposed project through participation in joint annual reviews. The NPSC will meet, at a minimum, semi-annually, and the meeting will include key stakeholders responsible for project implementation and monitoring. b. The National Project Coordination Unit (NPCU) will be established at the federal level. It will be responsible for (a) project coordination; (b) overall project M&E; (c) knowledge sharing and dissemination of information among project supported states; and (d) implementation of specific activities at the federal level (e.g., communications activities under Subcomponent 2.1 and Component 3). The NPCU will be composed of about 15 staff of the FME, representatives from UBEC, FMWA, FMoY, and other FME staff who would serve as project officers to provide supports to states in project implementation, monitoring of the project, technical assistance and capacity-building activities. 92. State level. The major part of project implementation will occur at the state level. The SME in each participating state will be the agency responsible for implementation of the project in close coordination with the relevant parastatals (e.g., SUBEB, LGEAs, and federal agencies) supported by SPIU. For project financial management, the SME will be assisted by the State Project Financial Management Unit (SPFMU) responsible for the management of donor-funded projects. a. The State Project Steering Committee (SPSC) will be responsible for project oversight at Mar 01, 2020 Page 39 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) the state-level. The SPSC, chaired by the Permanent Secretary or the State Commissioner of Education, would be comprised of executive secretaries from the SSEB (in states where they exist such as in Kano), SUBEB Chairperson, and Commissioners of relevant ministries in the state (FME, FMWA, FMOY, MOH). b. The State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) for each participating state will be established within the SME. It will be responsible for leading and supporting the overall implementation of the project activities. Relevant Departments within the SME (e.g., Physical Planning, Research and Statistics, Social Mobilization, Communications, etc.) will be responsible for the implementation of key activities to be supported by the SPIU including facilitating school rehabilitation/construction activities, awarding of school grants to schools and scholarships to female students, and community engagement and advocacy through relevant departments. In addition to being responsible for effective implementation of activities at the state-level, the SPIU will liaise with various implementing partners, closely track progress, and monitor compliance with Bank requirements including safeguards. It will also play a key role in planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting, as well as acting as a focal point for coordination with the Bank and other agencies including relevant CSOs. The SPIU will be headed by a State Project Coordinator and will be comprised of representatives of the SSEB, as applicable, SUBEB, and relevant state ministries that would serve as state project officers. 93. LGA level. The Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) 73, the decision-making body for the education sector for each LGA, is responsible for assisting with the monitoring and support of educational activities in the targeted LGAs. LGEAs assess school educational inputs requirements through basic school data collection and they act as an intermediary for disseminating information to schools/SBMCs (including policy notifications and instructions). They coordinate capacity-building for SBMCs, conduct school visits, and perform some monitoring of school activities. They will also assist SMEs/SPIU in project coordination and implementation. 94. Community and school-level. For the construction of junior secondary schools - the CPMC, supported by the SPIU, will be responsible for identifying schools for construction. They would contract, monitor and supervise construction work in communities. Responsibility for the SIG (supported under Subcomponent 1.2) will lie the SBMCs to develop the SIPs and manage the SIGs and SIG-funded activities as described in the approved SIP. SBMCs will be responsible for organizing meetings with relevant community members to discuss school performance against their SIPs and targets, will be responsible for record keeping (including on enrollment and attendance) and report to the SPIU and LGEA. All relevant details on the design and implementation of the SIG activity will be included in the SIG manual. . 73 LGEA officers are staff from Ministry of Education and SUBEB based at each local government responsible monitoring and inspection of all schools- primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools in the locality. Mar 01, 2020 Page 40 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) CONTACT POINT World Bank Aisha Garba Mohammed Education Spec. Borrower/Client/Recipient Federal Ministry of Finance Implementing Agencies Ministry of Education Adamu Adamu Honorable Minister for Education info@education.gov.ng FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Aisha Garba Mohammed Approved By Environmental and Social Standards Advisor: Practice Manager/Manager: Mar 01, 2020 Page 41 of 42 The World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (P170664) Country Director: Kathleen A. Whimp 30-Apr-2020 Mar 01, 2020 Page 42 of 42