No fewer than 12,101 female students in public secondary schools across Gombe State are set to benefit from a N750 million scholarship scheme.
The programme, which covers all 11 local government areas of the state, is part of the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya disclosed this in Gombe on Friday during the official launch of the disbursement of Girls’ Scholarships and School Improvement Grants under the AGILE Project.
Represented by his deputy, Dr. Manassah Jatau, the governor described the initiative as a direct outcome of his administration’s strong commitment to education and strategic collaboration with development partners.
“The administration of His Excellency remains committed to paying counterpart funding, fully aware of the immense dividends such collaboration brings to our state,” Yahaya said.
He noted that the focus on female students underscored the administration’s recognition of the vital role women play in family and community stability.
“By empowering the girl-child through education, we are investing in the future stability and growth of our communities,” he added.
Yahaya urged parents, teachers, and community leaders to support and monitor the proper use of the funds, aimed at easing the financial burden on families and expanding access to quality education for girls.
He also assured that this was only the first phase, with more beneficiaries to be captured in subsequent rounds.
In her welcome address, Prof. Aishatu Maigari, Commissioner for Education, said the AGILE project is a strategic intervention designed to improve access to quality education for girls and to strengthen school governance through community participation.
She commended Yahaya’s administration for successfully domesticating and implementing the project in Gombe, reaching thousands of girls and revitalizing community ownership of education.
Also speaking, Dr. Amina Abdul, Gombe State AGILE Coordinator, confirmed that the first batch of beneficiaries had already received their scholarships, while validation for the second cohort was ongoing.
She explained that, beyond scholarships, the AGILE project also includes School Improvement Grants aimed at creating a better learning environment for both students and teachers.
“All disbursements are processed digitally, with robust monitoring and evaluation systems in place to ensure transparency and accountability,” Abdul said.
She added that the initiative would help alleviate economic hardship, increase school enrolment, and ensure that more girls complete secondary education.
Each beneficiary, she explained, would receive N50,000 per academic session, disbursed in two instalments—N40,000 for school uniforms and essential supplies, and N10,000 for learning materials and daily school needs.
According to her, the scheme targets girls in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3) and Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1) to boost enrolment, retention, and completion of secondary education across the state.
