The Nasarawa State Government has facilitated the return of over 16,000 out-of-school children to classrooms through the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.
This was announced by Mr. Peter Ahemba, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Public Affairs, during a media engagement in Lafia.
Ahemba explained that the AGILE initiative aligns with the federal government’s commitment to promoting gender equality and empowering girls, especially through increased enrollment in secondary education.
He noted that addressing the challenge of out-of-school children has been a key priority of Governor Sule’s administration since 2019. The programme has recorded significant progress, particularly in supporting female students to return to school and excel.
As part of broader reforms in the education sector, the state plans to construct 30 new classroom blocks—15 each for junior and senior secondary schools—under the AGILE programme.
Ahemba also disclosed that the government will cover National Examinations Council (NECO) fees for over 24,000 public school candidates across all 13 local government areas in the state for the 2025/2026 academic session. This, he said, is aimed at easing the financial burden on families and improving access to quality education.
He highlighted that due to sustained investment in the education sector, Nasarawa ranked ninth nationwide and second in the North-Central zone in the 2024 NECO performance index.
“This is a deliberate effort by the Sule-led administration to boost access to education and reduce financial pressure on students and their families,” Ahemba said.
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