Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, has commended the progress of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project in Kano State following a courtesy visit to the Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The visit, which took place at the Government House in Kano, focused on reviewing ongoing education interventions targeted at improving access to quality education for adolescent girls across the state.
According to the minister, Kano State has approved the construction of 49 new secondary schools valued at about ₦23 billion under the AGILE programme, marking one of the largest education infrastructure interventions currently ongoing within the state.
She further disclosed that more than 1,358 schools have already benefited from school improvement grants aimed at strengthening infrastructure, learning conditions, and school environments.
As part of broader efforts to reduce barriers preventing girls from remaining in school, the minister said about 74,452 adolescent girls in Kano have also benefited from conditional cash transfers amounting to nearly ₦2.98 billion.
Digital learning and technology integration were also highlighted during the visit, with the minister revealing that 81,866 students across 100 schools have received ICT infrastructure support valued at over ₦3.45 billion.
According to her, discussions are ongoing with the World Bank to support Phase II of school construction projects, release additional school grants, and approve the establishment of four Adolescent Girls’ Digital Hubs across Kano’s three senatorial districts.
The minister also announced that Kano State has been selected as a pilot state for the LUMINAH 2030 Initiative, a national programme designed to restore educational opportunities and hope to vulnerable and out-of-school girls.
Communities expected to benefit from the initiative include Albasu, Tsanyawa, Madobi, and Minjibir.
Speaking on the significance of the intervention, Suwaiba Said Ahmad encouraged girls across the country to remain focused on their education and maximise available opportunities.
She noted that the Federal Government has continued expanding educational support through initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides tuition support and monthly upkeep allowances for students.
“If LUMINAH succeeds in Kano, it will prove to the whole nation that no child is too far to reach and no dream is beyond realization,” she stated.
The development comes amid ongoing national efforts to address out-of-school children challenges, improve girls’ education, and strengthen digital learning infrastructure across Nigeria.
