Kwara State Government has flagged off the disbursement of forty-thousand-naira conditional cash transfers as support for at least 32,420 female students of the public secondary schools.
At least 898 public secondary schools are also to be equipped with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities to strengthen access to safe water and improve public hygiene.
The initiative is being implemented under the State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.
Speaking at the event, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, Kwara First Lady, described the Kwara AGILE project as a deliberate step towards ensuring that adolescent girls are given a fair chance in life to have secondary education and be empowered.
Abdulrazaq, who joined the session virtually, said by empowering girls with both life skills and digital literacy skills, they are being prepared not only for academic success but also for meaningful participation in the modern workforce upon attainment of adulthood.
“The project prioritizes life skills education for girls, equipping them with confidence, communication skills, critical thinking, and the practical knowledge needed to navigate school, relationships, and future careers.
“In today’s rapidly evolving world, digital literacy skills have also become essential, and our schools are being strengthened to provide girls with access to the tools and training required to thrive in a technology-driven economy,” she said.
She commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for his unwavering commitment to human capital development, gender equity, and the upliftment of the female folk in the state.
The First Lady pledged continuous support of her office and her NGO, Ajike People Support Center to the state government in driving enrollment of school age children particularly the female.
“Just recently we distributed school sandals to secondary school students across the state to ease the burden on parents.
“We have at different times also presented school items ranging from school bags, stationeries and writing materials,” she added.
At the event were top government officials, educationists, students, and parents.
Lawal Olohungbebe, commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, said the grant for adolescent girls will go a long way in stimulating their interest to enroll in schools and to curb the dropout syndrome.
“The AGILE Project represents yet another strategic and compassionate intervention of this administration. It is designed to remove the barriers that hinder the educational progression of our adolescent girls, especially at crucial transition stages.
“The Conditional Cash Transfer being launched today is not just financial support. It is a statement of faith in the dreams of every girl and an invitation to remain in school, stay focused, and rise above economic limitations,” he explained.
The Commissioner said the grant is not a one-off benefit as students, who attend classes regularly and perform excellently would be getting an addition of N10,000 per academic term.
He urged the affected parents and guardians to use the fund judiciously to serve its original purpose.
Azeez Adeshina Salami, State Coordinator for Kwara AGILE, said the project is an initiative designed to improve access to quality secondary education for adolescent girls in all parts of the state.
He said the project is anchored on nine sub-components, including to provide WASH facilities for at least 898 public secondary schools, offer basic digital literacy training, provide alternative education for dropout girls, and to support the poorest parents of these girls through conditional cash transfers.
The coordinator said Kwara was the first state to pay the mandatory counterpart fund of one hundred and fifty million naira, making it eligible to benefit the world bank funding.
Azeez praised the leadership qualities of Governor AbdulRazaq and how he continues to support the Kwara AGILE project to achieve the set goals.
“The singular effort of His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in the initiation of this project in the state is so spectacular and worthy of commendation,” he said.
