The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in Kogi State has sustained the distribution of N40,000 Conditional Cash Transfer grants to schoolgirls, reinforcing efforts to keep adolescent girls in school and strengthen their contribution to social and economic development.
At an exercise held in Lokoja, parents and guardians of beneficiaries received preloaded ATM cards to access the funds. The distribution followed the earlier launch of the scheme and is part of a continuous intervention designed to break financial and socio-cultural barriers that prevent girls from attending school.
The project is providing N40,000 each to 13,359 adolescent girls in transition classes across the state. Beneficiaries are expected to sustain at least 70 per cent school attendance to continue receiving the grants, with a strong emphasis on ensuring that the funds are used strictly for education.
Officials explained that the disbursement is taking place in batches until every beneficiary receives her grant. They also clarified that the accounts linked to the ATM cards are dedicated wallets for the AGILE fund, warning against diversion of the money for other purposes or payment of any processing fees, as the government has fully covered the costs.
Financial partners supporting the initiative noted that Kogi is among the first states to begin full implementation of the AGILE-CCT programme. They encouraged parents to channel the support appropriately and even consider savings plans to secure their daughters’ future education.
School authorities commended the government for prioritizing education and ensuring that girls are not left behind. Parents and beneficiaries also expressed their gratitude, with many confirming receipt of the funds and pledging to invest them in their daughters’ schooling.
