FG urges states, communities to take ownership of LUMINAH initiative targeting 1m underserved girls
The federal government has called on state governments and local communities to take full ownership of the LUMINAH 2030 initiative, stressing that the success of the programme will depend on actions taken at the grassroots, not just in Abuja.
Suwaiba Ahmad, minister of state for education, spoke in Abuja on Monday at a two-day stakeholders’ engagement meeting with LUMINAH 2030 pilot states.
Launched in March, the LUMINAH 2030 initiative seeks to empower one million underserved girls and women by 2030, tackling barriers to education, inclusion, and gender equity.
Ahmad expressed concern that despite notable progress in some areas, gaps in learning quality, gender equality, and inclusion remain a major challenge in Nigeria’s education system.
“Let every state become a LUMINAH exemplary state. Let every community become a place where girls can learn safely and with dignity,” she urged.
She also unveiled a new coordinated roadmap under the Nigeria education sector renewal initiative (NESRI), describing it as a “national resolve to rebuild the foundations of learning in Nigeria” and ensure that no child is left behind and no girl is left unseen or unheard.
“Today’s engagement is a moment of reflection, renewal, and recommitment to the future of every Nigerian girl,” Ahmad said.
“Girls who wake before dawn to fetch water instead of going to school; girls who walk miles to unsafe classrooms or hawk on the streets when they should be learning — their cries for learning are not just calls for help, they are calls for justice, dignity, and opportunity.”
The minister said the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu had given rise to NESRI, which focuses on six priority areas: expanding technical and vocational education and training (TVET); strengthening STEMM and innovation; reducing out-of-school children; empowering the girl child; ensuring quality and equitable education; and building strong data and digital systems.
While noting gains from initiatives like the adolescent girls’ initiative for learning and empowerment (AGILE), she lamented that “too many girls remain out of school, still facing barriers rooted in poverty, insecurity, and harmful traditions.”
Ahmad described LUMINAH 2030 as a bold, holistic model for girl-child education and empowerment that goes beyond schooling to address the root causes of exclusion by supporting mothers and caregivers.
“It is about reshaping mindsets, driving social reorientation, and building intergenerational change,” she added.
Also speaking, Aisha Garba, the executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), said LUMINAH 2030 had been fully integrated into the commission’s operations and those of the state universal basic education boards (SUBEBs).
Garba said the initiative is “not just another programme” but a national movement to empower over one million Nigerian girls and women with education, vocational skills, and digital literacy by 2030.
“We have institutionalised this programme by establishing a special unit on Alternative Education for Girls,” she explained.
“A dedicated budget line has also been created within the UBE matching grant for states to implement interventions such as alternative high schools for girls, scholarships, accelerated basic education, and empowerment of mothers.”
She said the integration of LUMINAH marked a major milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4) on inclusive and equitable quality education.
The initiative will initially operate across 12 pilot states — one from each geopolitical zone — before being scaled nationwide.
Garba said UBEC had developed transparent criteria for selecting beneficiary communities, focusing on areas with high numbers of out-of-school girls, deep poverty, and economic vulnerability.
“Our collaboration with SUBEBs is key to sustainability. We are prioritising transparency and accountability in the disbursement of funds and deployment of resources,” she said.
“We are not merely implementing a programme — we are writing a new chapter in Nigeria’s education story, one where no girl is left behind.”
