The Kwara State Government has launched a conditional cash transfer scheme offering ₦130,000 to girls who return to school under the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.
Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, announced the initiative during the state’s third-quarter inter-ministerial press briefing in Ilorin on Wednesday.
According to him, the project — jointly funded by the World Bank and the Federal Government of Nigeria — seeks to reduce school dropout rates and expand access to quality education for adolescent girls, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on “inclusive and equitable education for all.”
“The government has paid the counterpart fund, and the money is coming. No girl in Kwara State will receive less than ₦130,000 to return to school. So far, 37,000 girls have been captured,” said Dr. Olohungbebe.
He explained that the government had also abolished the payment of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees in all public primary schools, describing the policy as a decisive step toward eliminating barriers to basic education.
“We realised that many children were staying out of school because of PTA fees. That singular fee discouraged several parents from enrolling their children, so the government has cancelled it completely to ensure that no child is denied access to basic education,” he added.
The commissioner further disclosed that the government is introducing “second-chance” education opportunities for older youths who missed earlier schooling opportunities — part of an inclusive approach to giving every child a fair shot at success.
“We are opening up second-chance education for older learners who, for one reason or another, could not complete their basic education. This will help them reintegrate into the system and secure their future,” he noted.
Recent data from the Kwara State Education Trust Fund show that while the figure of out-of-school children has dropped from 468,102 in 2017/18 to 437,448 in 2021/22, the challenge still demands sustained investment and innovative interventions.
Currently implemented in 18 states across Nigeria, the AGILE programme provides girls with access to secondary education through school upgrades, digital literacy training, life skills development, and scholarship support.
Earlier this year, the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWASUBEB) also enrolled 2,390 out-of-school children under its social mobilisation drive, supported by an $85.4 million World Bank facility — a move that reinforces the state’s commitment to inclusive education.
With these combined efforts, Kwara rewards parents as 37,000 girls return to school, positioning the state as a model for gender-focused education reform in Nigeria.
