The Kwara State Government has rolled out a new initiative aimed at boosting female education and keeping girls in school through financial support to parents.
Announcing the move at a press briefing in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, said the initiative is part of the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.
Under the scheme, parents will receive ₦130,000 for every girl enrolled and retained in school. According to him, over 37,000 girls have already been shortlisted to benefit from the programme.
“No girl in Kwara State will get less than ₦130,000 to go to school. We have paid our counterpart funds, and the payments will begin soon,” Olohungbebe said.
The commissioner explained that the policy aligns with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s education vision to remove financial barriers and empower girls across the state.
He also revealed that the government has abolished Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees in all public schools to further reduce education costs for parents.
In addition, Olohungbebe disclosed that a new “second-chance education” programme has been launched for youths who could not complete their studies earlier in life.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) — which focuses on ensuring inclusive and quality education for all by 2030.
