Adolescent Girls from poorest family to benefit from conditional cash transfer

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

Adolescent Girls from the poorest homes would under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), benefit from the federal government’s social policy of Conditional Cash Transfer in order to help them complete their secondary education.

AGILE is a World Bank Supported Project been Implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 18 states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara, with beneficiaries between the ages of 10 and 20.

The project is aimed at helping the targeted girls overcome the challenges of Gender based violence, Cost of schooling/poverty, insecurity, proximity, poor conducive learning atmosphere, among others which has prevented them from completing secondary education go back to classroom.

Speaking to our Correspondent after a Bi-Annual round-table meeting with newsmen during the weekend, Halima Ibrahim Dimis, Communication officer of the AGILE, said the initiative was meant to brainstorm and find new ways and strategies to drive home the objectives of the AGILE project through the media.

She observed that over the years, a lot of projects have been carried out on to support the education of girls child, with reportage but yet, there exist a gab which need to be filled.

“This time around we felt we should come together and harvest ideas on having it differently in order to achieve good result”, she said.

While expressing delight over the turnout, Hajiya Halima said a work plan was designed such that a small committee would be put in place to work towards achieving the objectives AGILE in Bauchi state.

Our Correspondent reports that for a girl to benefit from the conditional cash transfer, she must have recorded at least 70 to 80 percent school attendance.

“The girls that will benefit from the conditional cash transfer are the girls of the poorest of the poor households, we have identified some of the barriers here, which include poverty. The project will support those girls that are not able to stay in school because of poverty”, she said.

Hajiya Halima who stressed that it’s not going to business as usual in the selection of beneficiaries, emphasized that AGILE will ensure that no name is swapped or changed.

She explained that as the beneficiary continue to attend and record such percentage in attendance, she will continue to receive the conditional cash transfer until she finish her secondary education.

the support will continue untill she finish her secondary education.

Hajiya Halima who assured that AGILE will do the needful with due diligence mentioned some of the key objectives of AGILE to include, promoting opportunities for the adolescent girls to stay in school, re-enroll and complete their education.

She added that, AGILE is also aimed at changing the mindset of the society to see girls education as positive thing by seeing the benefit of girls education and understanding its importance.

Halima Ibrahim who added that the AGILE will work to ensure that girls education is not seen as something alien, said the project will also build girls’ capacity to make them stay and complete their studies and contribute to the development of the society.

According to her, most of the girls schools would be renovated and new ones constructed to create greater opportunity for the adolescent girls.