Kwara State First Lady, Olufolake AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday virtually launched the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, a major step aimed at keeping more girls in school and reducing dropout rates across the state.
Speaking at the virtual event held at the Banquet Hall in Ilorin, Mrs. AbdulRazaq said the project was created to give adolescent girls a fair chance at quality education, empowerment and a brighter future.
She highlighted the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) component, which will support 22,420 schoolgirls. Each girl will receive N40,000 yearly, paid in N10,000 per term, to ease the financial pressure on parents.
“The CCT will help families and keep our girls in school,” she said, praising Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for prioritizing education and the girl-child.
Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, said the government is committed to safe, supportive learning environments. He noted that over N1 billion has been spent on building, renovating and upgrading schools, improving learning materials and training teachers.
“The AGILE project is more than financial support; it is an investment in the dreams of every girl,” he added.
State Project Coordinator, Adeshina Salami, explained that AGILE (2023–2028) aims to expand access to quality secondary education while supporting girls socially, emotionally and economically. According to him, 898 junior and senior secondary schools will benefit from renovation and improved WASH facilities, while out-of-school girls will access literacy programmes, life skills and vocational training.
He commended the governor for being the first to pay the N150 million counterpart fund, placing Kwara ahead among participating states.
The AGILE project focuses on safe learning spaces, behavioural change, digital literacy, second-chance education, environmental sustainability and community accountability.
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