In a decisive move to reduce the number of out-of-school children, the Kwara State Government has announced a ₦130,000 conditional cash transfer for each girl who returns to school under the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.
The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, disclosed this on Wednesday during the third-quarter inter-ministerial press briefing held in Ilorin.
He explained that the initiative, jointly funded by the World Bank and the Federal Government, aims to reduce school dropout rates and promote inclusive, equitable education in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4.
“The government has paid its counterpart fund, and the money is coming. No girl in Kwara will receive less than ₦130,000 to return to school. So far, 37,000 girls have been captured,” the commissioner said.
Dr. Olohungbebe added that the state government had abolished the payment of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees in all public primary schools — a major financial barrier discouraging enrolment.
“We realised that many children stayed out of school because of PTA fees. The government has cancelled it completely to ensure no child is denied access to basic education,” he said.
He further revealed plans to create “second-chance” learning opportunities for older youths who missed formal education, enabling them to reintegrate and build their future.
“We are determined to make sure no child, especially no girl, is left behind,” he stressed.
Dr. Olohungbebe noted that the combination of cash incentives, removal of fees, and flexible learning opportunities would help the state close the education gap and achieve Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s vision of universal education by 2030.
The renewed effort follows a 2024 report by the Kwara State House of Assembly, which revealed that about 200,000 children in the state were still out of school.
A five-year Kwara State Education Trust Fund plan also showed that while the figure had dropped from 468,102 in 2017/18 to 437,448 in 2021/22, the challenge remains significant.
The AGILE programme, implemented in 18 states across Nigeria, focuses on improving girls’ access to secondary education through school upgrades, digital literacy, life skills training, and scholarships.
Earlier this year, the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board enrolled 2,390 out-of-school children under a World Bank-funded $85.4 million social mobilisation initiative, furthering the state’s education reform agenda.