Kogi AGILE Project : Over 13, 000 Adolescent Girls Benefit From Conditional Cash Transfer

Over Thirteen Thousand Adolescent Girls in Kogi State are to benefit from the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT scheme under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.

The AGILE State Project Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Oricha, disclosed this at the launching of the CCT Scheme at the Government House, Lokoja.

Alhaji Oricha explained that the project was aimed at dismantling both financial and sociocultural barriers that prevent adolescent girls from staying in school.

The State Coordinator of AGILE who stated that the scheme would reach
Adolescent girls in primary six, JSS one, JSS three and SS one, pointed out that each Student would receive Forty Thousand Naira which comprises Fifteen Thousand for registration, and Twenty Five Thousand for transition support, along with an additional Ten Thousand Naira termly payment.

Alhaji Oricha applauded Governor Usman Ododo for what he described as a bold response to the challenge of educational inequality in the State.

He also commended the World Bank and the National Project Unit for trusting them with the scheme.

The Governor described the AGILE project as a symbol of dedication towards ensuring that every child, particularly the girl child has access to safe and quality education.

He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the grants as a foundation for a better future, emphasizing that empowering the girl child is synonymous with empowering families and advancing the nation.

The State Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, charged the State Project Implementation Unit, SPIU, to deepen its dedication to excellence, transparency, and innovation in order to achieve concrete results.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Fatima Salawudeen from the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies (MARKAZ) thanked Governor Usman Ododo and stakeholders in AGILE for the opportunity given to Adolescent Girls in the state.

She acknowledged the Governor’s support for free education across the Twenty One Local Government Areas, highlighting the counterpart funding under the AGILE project as a reflection of his administration’s commitment to securing a better future for girls in the state.

Joyce Haruna. Edited By Grace Namiji