By Beatrice Gondyi, Gombe
Gombe State has taken a major step in promoting girl-child education with the launch of a scholarship and school improvement grant aimed at supporting 12,100 economically disadvantaged girls across its 11 local government areas.
The initiative is part of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme, a World Bank-assisted project, and was unveiled during a ceremony on Friday. Dr. Amina Haruna Abdul, AGILE’s state coordinator, explained that the programme specifically targets girls in Primary 6 and Junior Secondary School (JSS) 3, critical stages where many girls are at risk of dropping out.
Under the scheme, each beneficiary will receive N60,000 to cover registration, uniforms, and school materials for their transition to JSS 1 and Senior Secondary School (SS) 1. Additionally, they will receive N10,000 every term to support their continued academic pursuits. A community poverty ranking system is used to ensure the most vulnerable girls benefit from the programme.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya, represented by Deputy Governor Manasseh Jatau, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to tackling the challenge of out-of-school children. He urged parents to support the initiative to help boost enrollment and retention of girls in schools.
The scholarship programme comes in response to the growing trend of school-aged girls engaging in farm labour, locally known as “barema,” particularly during the rainy seasons. Officials hope that the initiative will provide the necessary financial and educational support to keep girls in school and empower them for the future.
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