Kwara State Incentivises Parents with N130,000 to Keep Girl-Child in School
The Kwara State Government, under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum), has introduced a substantial new financial incentive to combat the high rate of out-of-school children, especially among girls.
The initiative is backed by the World Bank-assisted Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project. Under this scheme, parents who enroll their daughters and ensure they remain in school will receive a minimum of N130,000.
The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, announced the program during the third-quarter inter-ministerial press briefing in Ilorin.
He confirmed that over 37,000 girls have already been captured to benefit from the scheme and that the state has already paid its counterpart funds, meaning disbursement will begin soon.
The Commissioner explained that this incentive is part of the state’s broader strategy to improve access to quality education and empower young girls. In a related move to eliminate financial barriers, Dr. Olohungbebe also announced the cancellation of all Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) fees across public schools.
Additionally, the government has launched a second-chance education programme specifically aimed at older youths who missed earlier opportunities to complete their education.
These reforms collectively reaffirm Kwara State’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education for all by 2030.
