The Kogi State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has commenced distribution of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to 12,112 adolescent girls enrolled as second-cohort beneficiaries of its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) component.
The exercise is being carried out across the three senatorial districts of the state. It is designed to give beneficiaries access to their designated financial channels and to ensure that eligible girls are reached under the intervention.
The CCT is one of the interventions of the Kogi AGILE Project, which aims to help adolescent girls stay in school, transition successfully to higher levels and overcome financial barriers to their education.
The State Project Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Oricha, reiterated the project’s commitment to ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive the necessary support under the programme.
He said the distribution of ATM cards was an important stage in implementing the CCT, as it gives beneficiaries the financial access needed to receive the support.
Oricha urged the beneficiaries and their parents or guardians to make responsible use of the intervention. He stressed its importance in promoting girls’ education and encouraged the beneficiaries to remain committed to their studies.
He also called on school principals, parents, community stakeholders and other relevant actors to support the programme by ensuring that beneficiaries are properly guided and protected throughout the process.
The CCT Lead, Mr Kunle Mumini, said the second cohort comprises 12,112 eligible adolescent girls, whose ATM cards are being distributed to strengthen delivery of the intervention.
He said the exercise was organised across the three senatorial districts to improve accessibility, spare beneficiaries the burden of travelling long distances, and ensure that eligible girls across the state are reached.
Mumini urged beneficiaries and their parents to cooperate with officials and follow all required procedures, to ensure proper documentation and accountability.
The second-cohort distribution builds on the first cohort of the CCT, which targeted 13,359 adolescent girls in all transitioning classes across Kogi State.
The first cohort was designed to support girls at critical transition points in their education, particularly as they move from one level of schooling to another. The continuation of the intervention with a second cohort underscores the project’s focus on improving girls’ access to and retention in education.
Some beneficiaries who spoke during the exercise expressed appreciation for the support. They said it would encourage them to remain focused on their education.
Parents and guardians also welcomed the initiative, with some describing the CCT as an important intervention for families facing financial challenges in keeping their daughters in school.
School principals and administrators who took part in the exercise likewise stressed the importance of collaboration among schools, parents, communities and the AGILE Project in achieving the intervention’s objectives.
The distribution is expected to continue across the three senatorial districts, with project officials working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that all eligible second-cohort beneficiaries are reached.
