Cash transfer programme boosts girls’ enrolment in Sokoto schools

Sokoto State has recorded increase in girls’ enrolment in schools following the introduction of the Girls Education Project (GEP) Cash Transfer Programme of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the state.

Under the Cash Transfer Programme (CTP) which targets poorest families and aimed at encouraging parents to send their daughters to school, beneficiaries received N5, 000 to purchase school uniforms, sandals and other school materials.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Sokoto Mohammad Mainasara Ahmad disclosed that the programme had led to 12 percent increase in enrolment from 10,994 in 2014/2015 to 12,349 in 2015/2016 in 62 targetted schools in six local government areas of the state.

He said money was disbursed to 11,266 (99% of 11,376 target) leading to girls’ enrolment increase in the schools.

Speaking at the Sokoto State Advocacy and Community Engagement Workshop, Mainassara explained that enrolment drive validation was conducted in 65 selected schools.

“The data shows an estimate of 39.7% as the proportion of P1 girls enrolled in households reported being aware and influenced by Enrolment Drive Campaign,” he stated.

He revealed that the state’s scale-up strategy and implementation plan for the programme had been developed with the Cash Transfer Programme budget of 813,741,000 integrated in the 2017 state budget, and that out of the budget, 500,000,000 had been released.