The World Bank to give cash incentive to 8,475 Nigerian schoolgirls.
According to recent reports, Nigeria has a total number of 18.5 million out-of-school children, 60 per cent of which are girls. This means that more than 11 million of out-of-school children are girls. The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Rahama Farah, said the statistics are alarming. “Most importantly, you will need to know that the majority of these out-of-school children are actually from Northern Nigeria,” he said. “This situation heightens the gender inequity, where only one in four girls from poor, rural families complete Junior Secondary school education.”
It is for this reason that the Kaduna State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank-supported project, has been set up to disburse cash incentives to 8,475 girls to encourage them to attend school. This is to promote girl-child school enrolment, retention, and completion. The Project Coordinator, Mrs. Maryam Dangaji revealed this in Kaduna at the inauguration of ECO Clubs in 10 pilot public schools in order to commemorate the 2022 World Environment Day.
Beneficiary were drawn from 13 LGAs in the state.
She said that these 8,475 beneficiaries were drawn from 13 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State with high rate of poverty and low rate of transition from one level to another in school. It is not uncommon for schoolchildren in Northern Nigeria to drop out of school at the completion of primary or junior school level. She said that the goal was to support girls prevented from attending schools due to hawking and other commercial activities done at home as well as the state of insecurity in the region.
She further explained that the cash incentive which will be given to the parents or guardian of a benefiting girl ranged from 5,000 naira to 10,000 naira. She said that 5,000 naira will be given to the parent or guardian upon the registration of that child into the programme at the completion of primary school and at the end of Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS 3). This amount will be disbursed every term. She also added that the beneficiaries of the program will receive 10,000 naira upon transitioning to JSS 1 or SSS 1. The project coordinator revealed that these payments are subjected to certain conditions. A beneficiary must enroll in school, remain in school, and attain at least 80 per cent attendance in class.
Implementation manual shows 34,124 girls will benefit in the state.
The Project Implementation Manual (PIM) of the program shows that a total of 34,124 girls are to benefit from the cash program in Kaduna State. It is projected that four batches of girls transitioning from primary 6 to JSS 1 and from JSS 3 to SSS 1 will be covered throughout the project. The project coordinator said that the objective of the Kaduna AGILE Project is to help improve secondary school educational opportunities among schoolgirls in targeted communities in participating states.
The AGILE Project Coordinator, Dangaji said, “The cash transfer support was based on the observation that many girls do not transition from primary to junior secondary school or from junior secondary to senior secondary school, largely due to poverty. This subcomponent of the project is designed to reduce direct and indirect costs related to girls’ school enrolment, attendance, and completion. The support will alleviate the financial burden that households face in sending their girls to school.”
AGILE ECO Clubs part of AGILE’s “catch them young” strategy.
Dangaji had earlier said that the ECO Clubs, which is known as the Kaduna AGILE ECO Club, was part of AGILE’s “catch them young” strategy to better enlighten students on environmental conservation. According to the coordinator, the ECO Clubs are established to inculcate the culture of tree planting, love, protection, and care for the environment among students. Meanwhile, the interventions provided by the Girls Education Project 3 (GEP3) which is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK, and which was implemented by the UNICEF, has made over 1.4 million girls return to school.
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Wow it is a laudable project because anything that can attract girl child education is a welcome idea in the northern part where education is considerably low.More projects from others apart from world bank should be put in place as an attraction for these kids to be able to get quality education
The UNICEF idea of giving the parent money is s very good initiative,because the rate of poverty in the northern part is very alarming and it’s cause for concern.Many parents of those out of school children gave birth to lots of children which is very difficult for them to take care of and as a result of that,they send them out to do different dirty job.
This is a brilliant idea but I don’t think this funds should be given to the parents of guardians because it’s clearly started that they are very poor, if they end up giving them the money the probability that they will use it to fund the girls education is very low. I will suggest that they pay the money directly to the schools.
This new development is impressive. Nevertheless before disbursing this fund the kaduna AGILE club should reach out to the girls to know what they want, because while some will be interested in going back to school, the rest might be interested in learning a trade.
This is good it will help girl in completing their education since they are financial broke so they will be also be educated, all procedure should be make so this fund reach where is suppose to reach in other to achieve the aim of the objective. It is a nice idea
There is need to mitigate the gap between the made and female child when it comes to access to quality education. It’s very good the WHO is doing this by giving cash rewards to school girls. We are all the same, so schoolgirls should be given the same opportunity schoolboys have been given in time past.
This is a forward development and great opportunity given to support the out of school girls as it will really encourage them to get back to school and start learning.
This is a good idea taken by the UNICEF…. Education is very important to both male and female. To girls who were not financially flamboyant, yet to go to school and to those who lost interest in school. This plan will encourage to get back to school to furthermore on their education.
The Nigeria education sector really is a great place if properly channeled.
The UNICEF move is good as it will also encourage other bodies to support this movement.
Moreover, other daily needs should be also considered most of them have no housing and proper meal
This is wonderful from the world bank. This gift will go far in the lives of these schoolgirls and will make them have a better future.
Wow, this is brilliant from the World bank because girls in the north are not allowed to go to school, and this might change their mindset and that of those around them.
When it comes to having access to a good education, there is a significant gender disparity between male and female children that needs to be closed, and this is one way to settle that.
The support is a step in the right direction as it help will alleviate the financial burden that households face in sending their girls to school and also motivate beneficiaries to turn up at school and be ready to learn as the payment are structured based on attendance and performance.
This gift from world bank is a wonderful move from them . This will help to reduce the rate of gender inequality and also help to enlighten the northerners. Hopefully this girls will get to make good use of this opportunity .
This condition exacerbates existing gender disparities, as only one in four rural girls from low-income families graduates from junior high school. Works need to be done in this aspect
Girls in Nigeria’s northern region are enduring terrible conditions. The objective should be to assist young women who are unable to go to school as a result of hawking and other forms of economic activity.
The assistance will make it easier for families to meet the financial obligations associated with sending their daughters to school.
This grant and support will make these girls in the north less prone to violent attacks because they’ll be off the streets hawking or begging.
The goal of this project is to assist in improving the educational possibilities available to secondary school students in specific communities across participating states, something the government should be doing.
The provision of financial assistance in the form of cash transfers was prompted by the realisation that a significant number of young women do not continue their education after completing primary school or junior secondary school, primarily due to economic hardship.
The mentality of investing in the male child academically, while the female child sit back at home has crumbled a long time ago. Apparently the Northern part of the country is still so backward. However, this is a brilliant initiative. This would help a significant amount of female children to have or continue their education to a decent level.
This ladies in north need motivation from their elite, is not really all about the money but good motivation. But in the other hand what about other state in Nigeria. If it is shared to every state it will be better. Why only north. Other regions we feel marginalized
This is a great news. Kudos to the world bank who has taught of lending an helping hand in eradicating poverty from Nigeria and to encourage young girl education. How I wish that this incentive will get to the right people.
18.5 million students are drop out of school and the world bank are sending money to 11 million which are girls so what about the other half which are the boy are they supposed to fend for themselves or what I don’t get why do girl have to take all the credit all the time
We must remember that Nigeria is going thru a dark time in history but to only considered the north as the only place that needs help is wrong doings. World bank should render helping hands to the whole nation.
The State Government of Kaduna has take the right step in partnering we the World bank to provide incentive to 8,475 girls in Kaduna state. It is really a welcomed idea provided it is not hijacked by some greedy politicians who want to enrich their pocket at the detriment of others.