In a bid to improve secondary school enrollment and skills development among young girls, the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a non-governmental organization in Niger State, has launched a scholarship program to support girls’ education.
This initiative is set to benefit approximately 300,000 girls across the 25 local government areas of the state through direct cash transfers to their families.
Speaking after a stakeholders’ engagement and sensitization meeting on the scholarship program in Minna, the Executive Director of AGILE, Hajiya Maryam Audi, revealed the organization’s goal of extending scholarships to over one million girls across 17 states in Nigeria.
Audi emphasized that, out of the 30 million out-of-school children nationwide, 70 percent are girls aged between 10 and 19 years, highlighting the urgent need to address educational disparities.
“Rather than seeing these young girls on the streets, hawking or out of school, we aim to support their education and reduce the rate of out-of-school children, especially girls, in our country,” Audi stated.
She explained that the project’s cash transfer approach provides financial aid to families committed to keeping their daughters in school, significantly reducing economic barriers to education.
The State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Hadiza Asebe Mohammed, also commended the scholarship initiative, noting that it is timely, given the rise in the number of out-of-school children. Represented by the Director of Administration, Hajara Zukoki, the Commissioner emphasized that empowering young girls through education is essential for societal progress.
“This program is instrumental in helping young girls reach their full potential, especially as many drop out due to financial constraints. It aligns perfectly with the current efforts to enhance girl child education in our country,” she added.
The scholarship program reflects AGILE’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s youth by addressing social and economic challenges that hinder girls’ education and ensuring a brighter future for the next generation.