The Kwara State Government has introduced a new programme to encourage parents to send their daughters to school and keep them there.
Under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, parents will receive ₦130,000 for enrolling and retaining their girls in school.
The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, announced this on Wednesday in Ilorin during a press briefing. He said over 37,000 girls have already been listed to benefit from the initiative.
“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,” he said.
Dr. Olohungbebe said the move is part of the state government’s plan to make education accessible and empower young girls to reach their full potential.
He also revealed that the government has scrapped Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees in all public schools, saying the decision aims to remove financial obstacles that stop parents from sending their children to school.
The commissioner added that a new “second-chance education” programme has been launched for older youths who were unable to finish their education earlier in life.
He reaffirmed that the state remains committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on ensuring quality and inclusive education for everyone by the year 2030.
