The federal government has launched an expanded phase of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, aimed at reaching more states and deepening efforts to boost girls’ access to quality education across Nigeria.
Suwaiba Ahmad, the minister of state for education, announced the initiative on Tuesday during the 2025 Children’s Day celebration in Abuja.
She described the additional financing as a “bold step” to scale hope, opportunity, and dignity for Nigerian girls.
The AGILE project, which is backed by the World Bank and other development partners, has already improved school enrollment, infrastructure, and life-skills training in several states.
With the new funding, the program is set to expand its reach, enabling thousands more adolescent girls to enter and remain in secondary school.
“We are not just scaling the AGILE program, we are scaling up hope,” said Ahmad.
Highlighting the urgency and impact of the initiative, the minister noted that education and holistic youth development must go hand in hand.
She emphasised that the AGILE project is a strategic investment in the country’s future and supports Nigeria’s broader goal of shifting from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy.
Ahmad used the occasion to reaffirm the Tinubu administration’s commitment to inclusive, safe, and quality education for all Nigerian children.
She praised the leadership of Maroof Tunji Alausa, minister of education, and lauded the collaborative efforts of federal and state education ministries, development partners, and stakeholders.
Concluding her remarks, the minister called on all Nigerians to recommit to the vision of leaving no child behind. “Let us build a Nigeria where every child can go to school, every child can dream, and every talent can be nurtured,” she said, urging continued investment in youth as a national imperative.
The event brought together top government officials, state governors, members of the national assembly, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
