Cash Transfer program, a game changer for girls” education in North
With the call by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) on the Nigerian government to review the 10.5 million figure of out of school children, this could mean there is a probability that either there are more or less than the above mentioned figure often used in official and non official estimates. Speaking in […]
With the call by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) on the Nigerian government to review the 10.5 million figure of out of school children, this could mean there is a probability that either there are more or less than the above mentioned figure often used in official and non official estimates.
Speaking in Sokoto, at the UNICEF’s media dialogue on Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) and Educate-A-Child (EAC), the fund’s Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti, said government needed to review the figure in order to get accurate figures to work with.
Menkiti noted that the Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) and the federal government’s initiative on safe school are reducing the numbers of out of school children, but the issue of population factor could not be neglected.
She added that it was imperative for the government to change the mindset of stakeholders toward the enrolment of the girl-child.
The CTP was initiated to reduce the number of out of school children after it was discovered that poverty is the key reason why children are not going to school.
The programme which supports mothers with a sum of N5,000 termly, to send their girl children to school was implemented in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina Niger and Zamfara States.
It was estimated that by 2020, some 21, 400 girls will benefit from the programme but currently, 23, 655 girls have benefited thereby surpassing the target.
An impact assessment conducted by a firm, CAPRA International showed that more girls are now in school and there is significant increase in the income of poor households.
However, a visit to New Rimawa Model Primary School in Goronyo local government area of Sokoto state by Daily Trust reporter shows an upsurge of girls from primary one to three.
The classrooms were filled with pupils from edge to edge with high number of girls in most of the classes.
The principal of the school, Yusuf Abdullahi said the school population rose with the commencement of the cash transfer programme as most parents are being supported to train their wards especially the girl child.
He said before, the school had less than 200 girls but now has a number of 525 girls out of the 1, 170 pupils in the school.
He however noted that the increase has taken a toll on the facilities in the school and also personnel as the school has only 10 teachers which was not enough to take in the growing number of pupils.
One of the beneficiaries, Amina Abdullahi, a primary three pupil of the school said N5,000 was being given to her mother as a caregiver of which she buys her school uniform, writing materials, sandals and the rest is invested into a small scale business also by her mother.
She hopes to continue with her schooling even if the programme stops.
A caregiver Hauwa Lawan whose three girls are benefiting from the CTP said after receiving the money, she provides the required school items for her kids and the rest of the cash goes into business of selling Tiger nuts, Bambara nuts and domestic animals.
She hopes to see her daughter to the end of her schooling with the little investment after the end of the programme. This is even as she said the programme has improved the livelihood of her family.
On sustainability plan, the Sokoto State government says it expended N500million in 2017 to improve girls’ enrolment in school through the Cash Transfer Program.
The State Commissioner for Higher Education, Muhammad Kilgori said that the investment was to compliment UNICEF efforts in ensuring access, quality and strengthening governance in girls’ education.
He stressed that the state was committed and determined to ensure sustainability of the programme as well as ensure that large number of its children are in school.
“We are very much concern about the girl child education. Our target is to ensure that all the 23 local government areas benefit from this programme as against the six that are currently benefitting,” he said.
Similarly, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, noted that through the programme the state had recorded remarkable achievements in terms of school enrollment, empowerment, drastic reduction of street hawking among the girls.
Represented by Alhaji Sani Jabbi, District Head of Gagi, the sultan said majority of their girls are now in school.
For Niger state, the CTP coordinator Adamu Idris Arzika said with 12, 911 girls as beneficiaries, the programme has increased enrolment of girls in their schools and improve the economic standard of the caregivers in the catchment areas as well as reducing street hawking and child labour.
He said for sustainability plan, the governor has given approval for the release of N50 million to caregivers to sustain the programme.
For Zamfara, Maryam Shantali, the CTP coordinator said they are just starting the programme in the state and have registered 2,629 beneficiaries.
She said initially women were skeptical about releasing their girl child but after the disbursement of money to those registered, others had a change of mind and that there is improvement in the enrollment of girls into school in the state.