In a bold move to tackle the growing number of out-of-school children, the Kwara State Government has announced a N130,000 conditional cash transfer to girls who return to school. This initiative is being implemented under the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme.

The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, disclosed this during the third-quarter inter-ministerial press briefing held in Ilorin on Wednesday.

Dr. Olohungbebe said the programme, which is jointly funded by the World Bank and the Federal Government, is aimed at reducing school dropout rates and ensuring adolescent girls have access to quality education. This aligns directly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) on "inclusive and equitable education for all."

According to the Commissioner, about 37,000 girls have so far been captured to benefit from the crucial programme.

"The government has paid the counterpart fund, and the money is coming. No girl in Kwara State will receive less than N130,000 to return to school. So far, 37,000 girls have been captured," the commissioner said.

Dr Olohungbebe explained that the government has also scrapped the payment of Parent-Teacher Association fees in all public primary schools, identifying it as one of the major factors keeping many children out of school.

"We realised that many children were staying out of school because of PTA fees. That singular fee discouraged several parents from enrolling their children, so the government has cancelled it completely to ensure that no child is denied access to basic education," he added.

The commissioner said the government was also creating "second-chance" learning opportunities for older youths who missed out on earlier education opportunities, describing it as part of efforts to give every child a fair chance to learn and succeed.

"We are opening up second-chance education for older learners who, for one reason or another, could not complete their basic education. This will help them reintegrate into the system and secure their future," he said.

Dr Olohungbebe stressed that the combination of cash incentives, removal of financial barriers, and re-entry opportunities would help the state close the education gap and achieve lasting results.

"This government is determined to make sure no child, especially no girl, is left behind.

"Education remains the most powerful tool for development, and we are doing everything possible to ensure every child in Kwara has access to it," he said.

The initiatives, he said, align with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's vision of inclusive education and the state's broader goal of achieving universal access to education by 2030.

Arewa PUNCH reports that Kwara's renewed focus on tackling out-of-school challenges comes after the state House of Assembly raised alarm in October 2024 that about 200,000 children were still out of school, describing the situation as a "crisis."

A five-year development plan by the Kwara State Education Trust Fund also showed that while the figure had declined from 468,102 in 2017/18 to 437,448 in 2021/22, the problem remained significant and required sustained investment.

The AGILE programme, currently being implemented in 18 states across Nigeria, focuses on providing girls with access to secondary education through school upgrades, digital literacy training, life skills development, and scholarships.

In addition, the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board earlier this year enrolled 2,390 out-of-school children as part of its social mobilisation drive, funded by an $85.4 million World Bank facility.