Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, on Monday flagged off the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme targeting 13,359 adolescent girls in transition classes across the state.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony held at the Government House in Lokoja, Ododo said the initiative—implemented under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project—aims to remove financial barriers to education and improve school enrollment and retention among girls.
Each beneficiary is expected to receive ₦40,000 as part of efforts to promote girl-child education and reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
“This project is not just about money; it’s about securing the future of our daughters,” the governor said. “An educated girl is not only empowered but also becomes a driver of positive change in her community.”
He described the CCT scheme as a long-term investment in human capital and thanked former Governor Yahaya Bello for ensuring Kogi’s inclusion in the World Bank-supported AGILE project.
Ododo noted that Kogi currently ranks among the states with the lowest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building on that progress.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology and Chairman of the State Project Steering Committee, Wemi Jones, commended the governor’s commitment to education, urging parents to support their children’s learning journey.
AGILE State Project Coordinator, Ahmed Tijani Oricha, stated that the second round of the CCT is ongoing, adding that girls with at least 75 per cent attendance are eligible.
Also speaking, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, HRM Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Muhammed Anaje, assured the support of traditional rulers across the state, describing the girl-child as the “future of the nation.”
One of the beneficiaries, Fatima Zahara Salawudeen of MARKAZ Institute, who spoke on behalf of over 30,000 girls reached under the broader AGILE initiative, thanked the governor and stakeholders for prioritising girls’ education.
“This support will help many of us stay in school and dream bigger,” she said.
The CCT scheme, the government says, aligns with its broader goal of inclusive development and social investment across Kogi State.
