Minister: Poverty should not cause children to miss school

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, stated that no Nigerian child should be denied schooling because of financial hardship.

She emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has prioritized policies designed to make education accessible to every child.

According to Ahmad, government interventions have expanded educational access and lowered the financial barriers that students face nationwide.

She highlighted the Nigeria Education Loan Fund as a key initiative supporting tertiary students.

The minister made these remarks on Friday while inspecting schools under the AGILE programme in Kano.

During her visit to Government Girls College and Government Girls Secondary School in Dukawuya, she assessed infrastructure and learning conditions.

Ahmad noted that reforms in education financing have eliminated tuition concerns for many students across the country.

“Poverty is no longer an excuse not to attend school. Not only is tuition covered, but stipends also support transportation, daily subsistence, and study materials,” she said.

She encouraged students, especially girls, to take advantage of the opportunities created by government reforms.

Ahmad also explained that free online skills programmes have been introduced to empower youth.