The Nasarawa State Government, through the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, has announced a major educational push targeting young girls. This includes scholarships, Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), and infrastructure upgrades across 490 selected schools.
Dr. John Mamman, the State Commissioner for Education and Chairman of the AGILE State Steering Committee, made this known in Lafia after a meeting involving key ministries and agencies.
He confirmed, “We have selected 490 schools that will benefit from various phases of the project. These include renovations, borehole installations, and conditional cash transfers to encourage girls’ education.”
According to Dr. Mamman, the rollout will begin soon, with 351 schools categorized as small-scale beneficiaries and 159 in the medium category. He explained that the CCT program is specifically designed to increase school enrollment and retention rates. “A total of 10,539 students will benefit from the grants,” he said.
Aisha Aliyu Isoga, the AGILE Project Coordinator in Nasarawa, emphasized the importance of the initiative in improving educational infrastructure and promoting gender equity. “The school improvement grants will enhance infrastructure rehabilitation, WASH projects, and other gender-sensitive areas,” she noted.
She stressed the need for parents and guardians to meet the financial eligibility criteria. “We urge parents to ensure their daughters have BVN-certified bank accounts to qualify for the CCT,” Isoga added, highlighting a key condition for receiving education funding.
The project aligns with efforts to empower girls, boost literacy rates, and promote digital inclusion in the state. High-level state officials also joined the third quarter Steering Committee meeting.
These include the Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Munirat Abdullahi, Commissioner for Security and Sundry Matters, Usman Baba, and Commissioners for Works, Housing and Transport, and Science, Technology and Innovation, Muazu Gosho and Gabriel Agbashi.
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This initiative underscores a growing commitment to female education and long-term empowerment.