A Victory for Girl-child Empowerment: Zamfara Launches Financial Support for over 8000 Girls

By Keem Abdul

The quest for wholistic, sustainable socio-economic development, especially in a developing country such as Nigeria, is – to use a sporting analogy – a MUST-WIN game. More than just a game, however, it is an existential battle against ignorance, poverty, disease and death.

Imagine then, that even with this game – or battle – at its fiercest, with the odds against you, you, as coach or commander, leave half of your team – including some of your best individual players, or warriors – on the bench, looking on. That makes no sense, right? No coach or commander worthy of his salt would do that.

But that’s exactly what a community or society does when it neglects, by omission or commission, the education of its female children. This neglect, for whatever reason, flies in the face of overwhelming evidence about the salutary effects of investing in girl-child education. Research has shown that communities that give their daughters the same opportunities as their sons are more peaceful and more prosperous, develop faster, and are generally more likely to succeed. On an individual level, girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives and contribute to stronger economies and societies. They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that affect them the most, and build better futures for themselves and their families. Empowering girls through education is a crucial step towards a more equitable and prosperous world. No wonder the famous American actress and activist, Angelina Jolie, once said, “There is no greater pillar of societal stability than a strong, free, and educated woman.”

One leader that has repeatedly demonstrated this understanding since his assumption of office two years ago is the Governor of Zamfara State, His Excellency, Dr. Dauda Lawal. In line with his visionary agenda for the development of the state, he has embarked on one policy, programme and initiative after another, all geared towards the empowerment of his people – including members of coming generations.

The latest of these is the recent official launch of a Conditional Cash Transfer programme designed to benefit a total of 8,225 female secondary school students drawn from the most vulnerable and economically-disadvantaged households across the 14 Local Government Areas of the state. Reports say the official launch at a ceremony in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, marked another milestone in the state’s ongoing partnership with the ACReSAL (Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes) and AGILE (The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment) projects.

According to Gov. Lawal, each girl is to receive ₦40,000 to support her education, with additional tranches of ₦10,000 each for the second and third terms, bringing the total to ₦60,000 per academic session. He also revealed that a total sum of ₦322 million has been approved for the first batch, and that arrangements were currently in progress for disbursements to the second batch of beneficiaries. This initiative, Lawal added, was in alignment with his administration’s broader agenda, which is focused on education, social protection, and inclusive development. “We are committed to tackling and overcoming all barriers, whether economic, infrastructural or social, that prevent our daughters from accessing and completing their education,” the Governor asserted. “When you educate a girl, you educate a village because these educated girls grow into empowered women who uplift their families, strengthen communities and drive progress in our state.”

Beyond his commitment to his developmental Agenda, Gov. Lawal, from all indications, is determined to milk the full benefits of Zamfara State’s partnership with ACReSAL. ACReSAL is part of a larger World Bank-assisted programme designed to address environmental degradation and climate change in Northern Nigeria. The project aims to restore degraded lands, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance community resilience to the impact of climate change. In Zamfara, this includes initiatives like catchment management plans, afforestation efforts, and erosion control. The ACReSAL project in Zamfara State also aims to contribute to sustainable development and improved livelihoods – and this is where education (especially that of the girl-child) comes in.

Even more directly, the Lawal-led government is hand-in-glove, developmentally speaking, with AGILE, another World Bank-supported initiative focused on improving secondary school enrollment and completion rates among adolescent girls. This project aims to address the barriers preventing girls from accessing, remaining in, and completing secondary education. It involves constructing new schools, renovating existing ones, and providing Conditional Cash Transfers to ease the financial burden of schooling for girls. The project also includes workshops for the impartation of life skills, community engagement, and media campaigns aimed at promoting girls’ education and reducing early marriage and school dropout rates. AGILE actively engages with communities through town-hall meetings and other forms of community participation to promote girls’ education and encourage enrollment and re-enrollment. It also utilizes media (including social media) campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of educating girls and to encourage their enrollment and retention in schools, to complete their education and contribute to their communities. Apart from addressing financial constraints, AGILE tackles barriers to girls’ education, such as cultural norms, and school-related gender-based violence.

Even this focus on education is only a part of Gov. Lawal’s commitment to the larger pursuit of policies and programmes that deliver meaningful societal impact, especially at the grassroots. As part of this larger pursuit, the Governor has also flagged off the disbursement of the Community Revolving Fund (in partnership with the aforementioned ACReSAL project) to 500 beneficiaries in locations such as Gusau, Bungudu, and Kaura Namoda.

The Fund, which aims to support grassroots environmental and economic initiatives, reflects the Lawal administration’s commitment to combating land degradation, promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing livelihoods in the face of climate challenge. “Our communities face hardships, from women building small businesses, to youths seeking opportunities, and to rural households trying to access basic services,” the Governor pointed out at the launch of the Fund. “The Community Revolving Fund offers sustainable funding to support development, marking a shift towards resilience and accountability.”

Urging beneficiaries in the above locations to use the resources provided in a wise and transparent manner – so as to ensure that the trust gained would result in visible, measurable outcomes and sustainable outcomes – the Governor promised that the disbursements would circulate within communities across the state, and benefit more and more people over time. “Remember that what you receive today is a seed,” he implored the beneficiaries. “I urge you to nurture it, grow it and let it blossom into a tree of change for your families and your communities.” The Governor expressed confidence that, through proper use and repayment discipline, this initiative would in time underline his administration’s commitment to financial inclusion, local resilience, and sustainability accountability.

Needless to say, it is no surprise that the cumulative impact of Gov. Lawal’s policy initiatives, programmes and projects are having an equally salutary effect on the economy of the state in general. One of the key economic indices where these effects are being felt is in the area of inflation – especially in regard to prices of basic commodities. The inflation rate in Zamfara State, which stands at a mere 9.9% as at the end of June 2025, is by far the lowest of any state in Nigeria today. Not only are basic commodities experiencing only a marginal, barely perceptible increases in price, some are actually seeing equally marginal decreases in price. These economic indices, coming at a time of severe economic stress nationwide (which has taken its toll on livelihoods and living standards elsewhere in the country) is a remarkable phenomenon, because it has led to a more affordable cost of living for the citizens and residents of Zamfara State.

The reasons for this are not far-fetched. Governor Lawal’s people-centered, grassroots-oriented programmes have delivered a more robust support system for agriculture in particular – with the provision of incentives to farmers and farm-based communities which are gradually but steadily beginning to bear fruit. Like most of Nigeria, Zamfara State is still a long way from attaining the global benchmark of food security. But as an economic indicator – especially as it has so far led to low inflation and affordability – it is a sign of better things to come.

• Keem Abdul, a public relations guru, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos. He can be reached via +2348038795377 or Akeemabdul2023@gmail.com