The Adolescence Girls Initiatives for Learning and Empowerment Projects (AGILE) has flagg off the disbursement of N726 million to 12,101 female students from public junior and senior secondary schools across the state.
The grant, disbursed for the 2024/2025 academic session, was aimed at improving access to quality education for adolescent girls and enhancing school infrastructure across the state.
The disbursement, through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Girls’ Scholarships, was under the AGILE Project, a World Bank–assisted programme.
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Speaking at the event, Deputy Governor of the state, Manassah Daniel Jatau, described the event as another milestone in the state’s educational advancement, and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to inclusive and quality education for all.
He noted that the gesture targets female students because of their proven resilience, care, and social contributions to family and community development.
“Experience has shown that when you care for the girl child, you are also caring for the family, community, and the nation. This investment in our girls is an investment in the future of Gombe State,” he said.
Jatau also announced the disbursement of the SIG grant to 537 public secondary schools across the 11 LGAs of the state, “to enhance infrastructure, safety, and learning conditions. This grants are categorised based on school population:
“The sum of N23.1 million each for schools with about 200 students, N46.2 million each for schools with about 500 students and N92.4 million each for schools with over 1,000 students.”
The deputy governor commended the World Bank, AGILE Project Implementation Unit (SPIU),and the state Ministry of Education for their commitment to the success of the initiative, and urged School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and communities to ensure proper use, monitoring, and maintenance of the facilities.
In a welcome address, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Aishatu Umar Maigari, described the flag-off as a landmark in Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s vision to transform education, particularly in the basic and secondary school sectors.
“This initiative represents a shared vision of inclusion, equity, and sustainable development. Through Your Excellency’s leadership, Gombe has domesticated and successfully implemented the AGILE project to reach thousands of girls while revitalising community participation in school governance,” she said.
She called on SBMCs to ensure judicious use of funds and congratulated the scholarship beneficiaries, urging them to remain focused and committed to their studies.
On her part, the state’s AGILE Project Coordinator, Dr Amina Haruna Abdul, explained that the project’s goal is to remove barriers to girls’ education by providing financial support, improving infrastructure, and strengthening school governance.
She said the scholarships cover all the 11 LGAs of the state, adding that the first cohort has been validated and disbursed, while the second cohort is already enrolled and awaiting validation.
“Each girl under this scheme will receive N50,000 per academic session. At the point of transition, students will receive an initial ₦40,000 to help them purchase school uniforms and writing materials.
“Subsequently, they will receive N10,000 periodically to cover school-related expenses, including small snacks, stationery, and other learning needs,” she explained.
Dr Abdul added that the financial support is not intended to cover all costs, “but it will significantly ease the burden on parents and guardians, many of whom are eager to educate their daughters but face financial constraints.”
She added that the initiative is a step forward in alleviating economic hardship, increasing school enrollment, improving retention rates among girls, and ultimately ensuring that more female students complete their secondary school education.