By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

Government Secondary School (GSS) Nasarawan Rigachikun has won the 2026 children’s day celebration competition organised by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in Kaduna.

The event, themed “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child,” brought together students from selected secondary schools to showcase their talents and academic abilities.

Participating schools included GSS Nasarawan Rigachikun, GSS Kawo, Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Unguan Sarki and Dalet Government Secondary School.

Activities featured a talk show on menstrual hygiene, spelling and quiz competitions, march past displays and other educational contests.

At the end of the competition, GSS Nasarawan Rigachikun secured first position with 87 per cent, while Dalet Government Secondary School came second.

GSS Kawo finished third, while GGSS Unguan Sarki clinched the fourth position in the overall standings.

Speaking at the event on Tuesday at GSS Nasarawan Rigachikun, the host school, Zainab Maina, Technical Assistant, AGILE Project Kaduna, said the programme was organised to commemorate children’s day and showcase students’ talents.

She said the project was also designed to demonstrate the impact of AGILE interventions in schools and provide students opportunities to interact and express themselves.

Maina explained that AGILE is dedicated to improving education infrastructure and services across Kaduna State.

According to her, the project has supported more than 100 schools with new buildings, renovated toilets and sanitary facilities, and improved access to water.

She added that nearly 50,000 students had benefited from scholarships, while about 100 schools were receiving digital skills training and environmental education support.

Maina said AGILE had also helped schools establish eco-clubs to improve awareness of climate change and environmental sustainability among students.

Principal of GSS Nasarawan Rigachikun, Mrs Fauziya Dembo, described the celebration as a well-organised programme that exposed students to healthy competition and social interaction.

She commended AGILE for creating opportunities for students from different schools to learn, compete and build confidence.

Dembo noted that such activities would encourage more students to participate in future educational and extracurricular programmes.

Also speaking, Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) in Rigachikun, Nasir Umar, praised the government and AGILE for transforming the school’s learning environment.

He said the project provided about 32 classrooms, staff rooms, examination facilities and modern toilets, replacing inadequate structures previously used by students in GSS Nasarawan Rigachikun.

Umar stated that student enrolment had increased from about 700 in 2017 to nearly 2,000 due to improved infrastructure and better teaching conditions.

He added that parents in Rigachikun were now more willing to enrol their children in school because of the conducive learning environment and availability of educational materials.

One of the students, Buhari Abdullahi of GSS Nasarawan Rigachikun, expressed delight over his school’s victory, saying the competition encouraged teamwork and learning.

Another student, Khadija Murtala of Dalet Government Secondary School, said the event helped participants gain confidence, develop friendships and improve their academic skills.(NAN)