By Suleiman Adamu, Sokoto
Sokoto state first lady, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto has flagged off disbursement of financial support under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme to first cohort of 41,825 female students across the state 23 LGs to strengthen the Adolescence Girl Initiative for Learning and Empowerment ( AGILE) project.
The intervention initiative launched last year, is aimed at boosting empowerment, encouraging enrolment, retention and completion of secondary education of the adolescent girl child in the state.
” It will also enable the provision of critical infrastructure and other activities to facilitate conducive learning environment for adolescent”
Launching the disbursement, Hajiya Aliyu Sokoto enjoined parents and caregivers to use the opportunity to enroll their wards to school as a way of salvaging their families from abject poverty.
The Sokoto first lady noted that educating the girl child was as good as educating the nation stressing that it symbolises planting of a seed of hope that will give birth to priority.
” I therefore commend the governor for placing top priority to promote girl child education and appreciate AGILE and other development partners for the support extended to the program”, She remarked.
In his remarks, AGILE coordinator, Doctor Mansur Isah Buhari noted that the program has over time, recorded landmark achievements since inception of the Ahmed Aliyu led administration.
The Coordinator further urged beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the funds while disclosing that not less than 200,000 adolescent girls were targeted before the initiative rolled off.
While making remarks , the trio of the state Commissioner for basic and Secondary Education, Professor Ahmed Ladan Ala, representative of the Sultan of Sokoto and AGILE National Coordinator Hajiya Fatima lauded Sokoto state government for its continuous support to the project explaining that the state stood out and surpassed in performance among the 18 states captured in the world bank supported initiative.
Meanwhile, each of the beneficiaries got N40,000 for each term through the duration of the programme as they appreciated the support with assurances to making good use of the funds for which is disbursed as the even witnessed the attendance of SBMCs, education interest groups , parents and guardians.
