Beneficiaries of the Girls Scholarship initiative in Gombe State have praised Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his continuous support towards improving girl child education in the state. This follows the ongoing distribution of ATM cards to female students under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project.
The Gombe State Commissioner of Education, Prof Aishatu Umar Maigari, who also serves as the Chairperson of the AGILE Project Steering Committee, visited several schools to monitor the exercise. The scholarship program is designed to support 12,101 female students under the first cohort of the AGILE Project initiative.
Addressing beneficiaries and their caregivers, Prof Maigari said the support will further motivate adolescent girls to stay in school and complete their secondary education. “Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is always concerned to the flight of the younger generation who are our future leaders, particularly the Adolescent Girls,” she stated.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator of the AGILE Project in Gombe State, Dr Amina Haruna Abdul, explained that the ongoing distribution exercise followed the recent flag-off of the scheme by the Gombe State Government and will cover all public school beneficiaries.
The monitoring team also included the Special Adviser to the Governor on Donor Partners, Dr Ishiyaku Ibrahim Babayo, and the Director of School Services, Yusuf Muhammad.
Members of the School-Based Management Committees (SBMC), principals, and students expressed their gratitude, describing the initiative as the first of its kind in the history of the state. They said the scholarship program will go a long way in reducing financial barriers and empowering young girls to achieve their academic dreams.