How cash programme raises girls’ school enrolment 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 in the country, some stakeholders still see the figure as understated.   Speaking in Sokoto, at the UNICEF media dialogue on Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) and Educate-A-Child (EAC), the fund’s […]

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 in the country, some stakeholders still see the figure as understated.  

Speaking in Sokoto, at the UNICEF 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.

The CTP was initiated to reduce the number of out-of-school children after it was discovered that poverty is the key reason children are not going to school.

The programme, which supports mothers with a sum of N5,000 per term to encourage them to send their daughters to school, was implemented in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina Niger and Zamfara states.

Menkiti noted that the 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.

It was estimated that by 2020, some 21,400 girls will benefit from the programme but presently, 23,655 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.

Meanwhile, a visit to New Rimawa Model Primary School in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto State showed an upsurge of girls graduating from primary one to three. The classes were filled with pupils with a high number of girls noticed in most of them.

The principal of the school, Yusuf Abdullahi, said the pupils’ 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 programme, the school had less than 200 girls but now has 525 out of the total 1,170 pupils in the school.

He however noted that the increase has taken a toll on the facilities in the school and the personnel as the school has only 10 teachers which is not enough to handle the growing number of pupils.

 One of the beneficiaries, Amina Abdullahi, a primary three pupil of the school said N5,000 is given to her mother. Part of the money is used to buy school uniform, writing materials, sandals for her and the rest is invested into a small scale trading by her mother. 

She hopes to continue with her education even if the programme stopped, she said.

A caregiver, Hauwa Lawan, whose three daughters are benefiting from the CTP, said after receiving the money, she procured the required school items for them and the rest went 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 programme, she said, adding that the programme has improved the livelihood of her family.

On sustainability, the Sokoto State government said it expended N500 million in 2017 to improve girls’ enrolment in school through the programme.

The Commissioner for Higher Education, Muhammad Kilgori, said the investment was to compliment UNICEF’s efforts in ensuring access, quality and strengthening governance in girls’ education.

“We are very much concerned 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 III, noted that through the programme the state had recorded remarkable achievements in terms of school enrollment, empowerment, and drastic reduction of street hawking among girls.

Represented by Alhaji Sani Jabbi, District Head of Gagi, the sultan said majority of their girls are now in school.

Equally, in Niger State, the CTP Coordinator, Adamu Idris Arzika, said with 12,911 girls as beneficiaries, the programme has increased enrolment of girls into schools and improved the economic standard of caregivers in the catchment areas as well as reduced street hawking and child labour.

He said Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of the state has given approval for the release of N50 million to caregivers to sustain the programme.

In Zamfara State, the CTP Coordinator, Maryam Shantali, said the programme had only just started in the state but had registered 2,629 beneficiaries.

She said initially, women were skeptical about sending their daughters to school, but after the disbursement of money to those registered, others had a change of mind leading to improvement in the enrollment of girls.