Hajia Fatima Aliyu, the wife of Sokoto state governor on Thursday launched the disbursement of cash support 41,821 female students under Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.
The Newsmen reports that the disbursement was a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme aimed at advancing girl-child education in Sokoto state through the support.
Aliyu said the initiative aims to support girls financially, helping them overcome economic challenges and continue their education without interruption.
“I am pleased to learn that the AGILE project is significantly contributing to reducing the burden of Out-of-School Children in our communities by increasing secondary school enrolment among adolescent girls in Nigeria.
“It is on the strength of the impact of the project more states are benefiting with education support. By educating girls, AGILE is helping to build a more just and prosperous society,” Aliyu said.
She urged the beneficiaries and their families to ensure judicious use of the funds through school attendance and concentration on studies for thee future.
In her remark, the National Coordinator of AGILE, Ms Fatima Buba-Haruna, said the CCT programme is a vital AGILE strategy to boost enrolment, retention, and transition of girls in public secondary schools.
Buba-Haruna expressed hope that the CCT initiative would deliver long-term benefits and transform the lives of many girls.
“The success of AGILE also reaffirms the commitment of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda to focus on education as an essential pillar of development by providing unhindered access to quality education for every Nigerian child.
” AGILE showcased empowerment of girls through education and celebration of talents, creativity, and excellence of Nigerian children.
“The additional financing to other states is a testament to the project’s impact and a bold step toward deepening its reach and sustainability, ” She said.
She highlighted that the expansion would enable the project to reach more states, empower more girls, and expand the innovative interventions that have already begun to reshape learning outcomes and social inclusion for adolescent girls across the country.
Speaking also, the Programme Coordinator, Dr Mansur Isa-Buhari, said under the programme, no fewer than 749 classes were renovated, 11,221 students desks provided and 214 solar-power boreholes also provided across different schools.
Isa-Buhari said 1,652 toilet facilities were constructed, 4,480 tress planted in schools environments and 11,325 adolescent girls enrolled in the safe space activities.
According to him, no fewer than 97,446 teaching and learning materials have been provided while 2,240 School Based Management Committee (SBMC) members trained on the roles and responsibilities under the project.
“Our mission is not just to get children into school, but to ensure they learn, grow, and thrive in safe, inclusive, and stimulating environments, ” he said.
Isa-Buhari commended Gov. Ahmad Aliyu for his support that ensure maximum success of the project and urged parents to ensure strict school attendance for their daughters.
He stressed that before the end of the project about 200,000 girls are expected to be empowered across the state.
A cross section of parents praised AGILE project describing it as a beacon of hope for girls and encouraged full community support for the programme.
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