The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, has said that financial constraints should no longer prevent Nigerian children from accessing education under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ahmad stated this on Friday during an oversight visit to Government Girls College Kano and Government Girls Secondary School Dukawuya under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project.
According to her, government interventions, particularly the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), have eliminated poverty as a barrier to education by providing loans and stipends to students in tertiary institutions.
She explained that beneficiaries now receive support covering tuition, transportation, study materials and daily subsistence.
“Poverty is no more an excuse not to go to school. Not only is tuition paid, but students also receive stipends for daily needs,” the minister told students, urging them to maximise available opportunities.
Ahmad added that the Federal Government has also introduced free online skills acquisition programmes accompanied by monthly stipends and starter packs to prepare youths for employment before and after graduation.
She stressed the importance of girl-child education, describing girls as critical to societal development and national progress.
During the inspection, the minister directed school principals and School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) to address lapses observed in renovated classrooms, laboratories and WASH facilities within three weeks.
She warned against locking renovated laboratories and computer centres meant for students’ use.
Ahmad said she would brief Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, on findings from the visit, expressing confidence that necessary corrective actions would be taken promptly.
Speaking earlier, Kano State Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, disclosed that the state government had awarded contracts worth ₦24 billion for the construction of 49 new schools and renovation of 300 others across 484 wards.
Makoda added that since the declaration of a state of emergency on education in 2023, the sector has consistently received over 30 per cent of the state budget.
Also speaking, AGILE National Coordinator, Amina Buba Haruna, revealed that 100 schools in Kano had been equipped with solar-powered digital literacy facilities, while approval had been secured for an additional 180 schools.
She further disclosed plans to establish 89 new girls’ secondary schools within one year.
Haruna noted that the World Bank–supported AGILE project aims to improve access to quality education for adolescent girls in selected states across Nigeria.
