Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
To break financial barriers to education and empower adolescent girls, the wife of Sokoto State Governor, Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, on Thursday, launched the disbursement of conditional cash transfers to 41,821 students under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.
The historic flag-off, held at the Government House in Sokoto, drew key stakeholders, including the AGILE National Project Coordinator, Fatima Buba Haruna, who described the initiative as a lifeline for vulnerable families and a game changer for education in the state.
In her address, Fatima Ahmed Aliyu declared that the initiative represents more than just financial support but an investment in Sokoto’s future.
She emphasized that educated girls become empowered women who drive sustainable development, urging beneficiaries to channel the funds strictly towards their schooling needs.
She noted that the success of Sokoto State depends on producing a generation of confident, educated, and empowered women who can contribute meaningfully to society.
On her part, Fatima Buba Haruna commended the Sokoto State Government for demonstrating strong ownership of the AGILE project.
She explained that the intervention is designed to reduce the economic burden of education, improve school retention, and ensure seamless transition for girls across all levels of learning.
Haruna reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to work with Sokoto and other states to confront challenges of low enrollment and high dropout rates, particularly in northern Nigeria, where socio-cultural and economic barriers still hinder girls’ education.
Earlier, the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Mansur Isah Buhari, presented the achievements of the project in its first year of implementation.
He disclosed that the program had delivered beyond cash support by tackling infrastructure, resource provision, and community involvement in school management.
According to him, 749 classrooms were renovated, 214 solar powered boreholes installed, and 1,652 toilet facilities built across secondary schools, creating safer and more conducive learning environments for students.
He further revealed that 11,221 student desks and 97,446 teaching and learning materials were distributed, while 4,480 trees were planted in 448 schools to support environmental protection and sustainability.
Dr. Buhari added that 11,325 adolescent girls were enrolled in safe space activities, while 2,240 members of School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) received training to strengthen school governance and accountability.
He stressed that the AGILE project has already boosted enrollment and retention of girls in secondary schools, while mentorship and empowerment programs have built their confidence to pursue both academic and vocational careers.
The ceremony, attended by parents, teachers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and education advocates, ended with the symbolic presentation of cash envelopes to selected beneficiaries, signaling the start of statewide disbursement.
Stakeholders unanimously hailed the project as a transformative intervention poised to alter the trajectory of education in Sokoto and give girls the opportunity to break free from poverty and exclusion.
