The Nasarawa State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, has unveiled a major drive to boost girls’ education through scholarships, Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT), and infrastructure upgrades in nearly 500 schools.
Speaking after a high-level meeting in Lafia, the State Commissioner for Education and Chairman of the AGILE Steering Committee, Dr. John Mamman, announced that 490 schools have been selected for phased interventions. These include classroom renovations, borehole installations, and cash incentives to keep girls in school.
“Out of the selected schools, 351 are small-scale beneficiaries while 159 fall under the medium category,” he said. “A total of 10,539 students will benefit directly from the CCT programme, which is designed to improve school enrollment and retention among adolescent girls.”
Aisha Aliyu Isoga, AGILE Project Coordinator in the state, stressed that the school improvement grants will go beyond physical renovations to include WASH projects and other gender-focused enhancements. She urged parents to ensure their daughters have BVN-linked bank accounts to qualify for the cash transfers, which are conditional on school attendance and other criteria.
“This project is not just about infrastructure, it’s about creating an enabling environment for girls to thrive,” Isoga said. “It’s about access, equity, and digital inclusion.”
The third quarter AGILE Steering Committee meeting was attended by several key government officials, including the Commissioners for Finance, Security, Works, Housing, Transport, and Science and Technology, signaling strong cross-sectoral backing for the initiative.
The AGILE project is part of broader efforts to tackle barriers to girls’ education and promote gender equity in Nasarawa State.
