AGILE project in Sokoto empowers 41,821 girls with cash grants, boosting school enrolment and retention across the state under a landmark education initiative

AGILE project in Sokoto has disbursed conditional cash support to 41,821 adolescent girls, marking a major stride in improving school enrolment and retention across the state.

Also read: Nasarawa AGILE Project Begins with Bold Steps to Empower Girls

Launched on Thursday by Hajiya Fatima Aliyu, wife of the Sokoto State Governor, the initiative forms part of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) — a nationwide programme focused on transforming girl-child education in Nigeria.

“This initiative helps our girls overcome economic obstacles and stay in school,” Aliyu said during the event. She praised the AGILE project for reducing the number of out-of-school children and highlighted its role in building a “more just and prosperous society.”

Fatima Buba-Haruna, AGILE’s National Coordinator, described the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) as a key strategy to increase enrolment, retention, and transition among girls in public secondary schools.

She added that the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to education under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“By educating girls, we empower future generations and foster inclusive development,” Buba-Haruna said. “The expansion of this project to more states proves its real impact and long-term sustainability.”

Programme Coordinator Dr Mansur Isa-Buhari outlined the infrastructure achievements under AGILE, including the renovation of 749 classrooms, provision of over 11,000 desks, and installation of 214 solar-powered boreholes.

The project has also provided 1,652 toilet facilities, planted 4,480 trees, and enrolled 11,325 girls in safe space activities.

Additionally, 97,446 teaching and learning materials were distributed, and more than 2,200 members of School-Based Management Committees received training on their roles under the project.

“Our goal is not just school attendance, but meaningful learning in safe, stimulating environments,” Isa-Buhari stressed, predicting that over 200,000 girls would be empowered by the end of the programme.

Parents attending the launch lauded the AGILE project as a “beacon of hope” and pledged continued community support to ensure its success.

In a similar effort, the AGILE project in Kogi State recently distributed ₦40,000 each to 13,359 schoolgirls.

Also read: Nasarawa AGILE Project Begins with Bold Steps to Empower Girls

The initiative, flagged off by Governor Usman Ododo, aims to dismantle financial and cultural barriers that hinder girls’ access to education.