AGILE expands conditional cash transfers to support girls’ education in Bauchi
By Ahmed Ahmed
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in Bauchi State has intensified efforts to improve girls’ access to secondary education through an expanded conditional cash transfer programme targeting thousands of students across the state.
The AGILE Project Coordinator, Ladi Mohammed Hamma, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the progress of the initiative, emphasizing that financial support to vulnerable schoolgirls remains one of the project’s most impactful interventions.
According to her, a total of 12,133 beneficiaries in 100 participating schools have already begun receiving education support grants designed to reduce the financial burden on families and encourage sustained school attendance.
She explained that each beneficiary initially received ₦40,000 during the last academic term to support school registration and transition into new learning levels.
The funds were deposited directly into students’ bank accounts to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement process.
Hamma noted that although most beneficiaries have accessed their funds, a few students were yet to receive ATM cards required for withdrawals.
She said AGILE officials were working closely with the First City Monument Bank to complete card distribution and guarantee that every enrolled student benefits fully from the programme.
Providing further clarification, the coordinator stated that the total financial support attached to the conditional cash transfer scheme amounts to ₦60,000 per beneficiary, disbursed in phases tied to school transition and attendance performance.
She explained that girls transitioning from primary school to Junior Secondary School, or from Junior to Senior Secondary School, receive ₦15,000 as a registration grant and ₦25,000 as a transition incentive in the first term bringing the initial payment to ₦40,000.
Subsequently, beneficiaries who maintain at least 70 per cent school attendance qualify for additional periodic payments of ₦10,000 until they complete their respective education cycles.
Hamma stressed that the structure of the intervention is deliberately designed to reward consistency in school attendance while easing the economic pressure that often forces girls out of school.
She added that AGILE is preparing to significantly scale up the programme by enrolling 40,000 new beneficiaries across 200 schools in the next phase doubling participation from the initial cohort.
“Our field teams have spent the last several months enumerating and registering eligible students. With the expansion from 100 to 200 schools, more girls from vulnerable households will now benefit from this financial support,” she said.
“Despite the progress, the coordinator identified documentation requirements as a major challenge affecting enrolment and smooth account opening for beneficiaries.
She urged parents to ensure their wards obtain National Identification Numbers (NIN), birth certificates and other required records, noting that these are mandatory for banking processes linked to the cash transfer scheme.
She also emphasised the need for parents or guardians to provide their own NIN and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) to facilitate account registration, appealing for cooperation to prevent delays that could exclude eligible students.
Hamma reiterated that programme forms and financial benefits are issued directly to the girls rather than their parents, a measure she said is intended to promote empowerment, responsibility and proper use of the funds for educational needs.
Beyond the cash transfer component, she noted that AGILE continues to implement complementary interventions such as school renovation, construction and safeguard training for technical service providers, all aimed at improving the overall learning environment for girls.
She revealed that the project recently secured approval from the World Bank to train 156 technical experts who will supervise environmental and social safeguards during infrastructure upgrades, ensuring that school improvements meet required standards.
According to her, these combined efforts financial support, infrastructure development and professional oversight are expected to significantly enhance enrolment, retention and completion rates among adolescent girls in Bauchi State.
Hamma concluded by calling on parents and community stakeholders to support the initiative and ensure that funds provided under the conditional cash transfer scheme are used strictly for educational purposes.
She said sustained collaboration between families, schools and development partners would be critical to achieving AGILE’s broader goal of reducing gender disparities in education and expanding opportunities for girls to complete secondary schooling and build brighter futures.
