First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has announced a N2bn Learners Retention Support Programme targeting 100,000 learners in its first phase, with each beneficiary expected to receive N20,000 to help overcome financial barriers to education.
She made the announcement on Monday at the flag-off of the distribution of two million packs of sanitary towels and back-to-school materials to girls in public basic education schools across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The event, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, commemorated the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child and marked the launch of the second phase of the Flow with Confidence initiative, implemented by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Tinubu said the programme aimed to prevent girls, particularly those in rural communities, from missing school because they could not afford sanitary products or basic learning materials.
The first phase, launched by her Renewed Hope Initiative in October 2025, provided a year’s supply of disposable sanitary pads to 370,000 schoolgirls in rural communities.
Minister of Education Tunji Alausa said UBEC would include sanitary towels in its annual budgets, while the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) would sustain menstrual hygiene support throughout the project.
UBEC Executive said the two million packs would be distributed alongside school bags, shoes, exercise books, mathematical sets and writing materials.
Tinubu urged state First Ladies, education commissioners and State Universal Basic Education Boards to ensure transparent distribution, while calling on parents, traditional rulers and religious leaders to challenge menstrual stigma and practices that prevent girls from accessing education.
UBEC Governing Board Chairman Tanko Al-Makura warned that financial hardship often pushes girls out of school and increases their vulnerability to early marriage.
The programme also received support from the British High Commission, whose Education Lead, Ian Attfield, highlighted the economic and social benefits of investing in girls’ education.