International Day of the Girl Child 2025: More than 100,000 girls have directly benefited from Governor Radda reform

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has joined the global community in marking the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child, reaffirming his administration’s strong commitment to building a future where every girl in Katsina can learn, lead, and thrive.

This year’s celebration, themed “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” celebrates the courage and leadership of girls who continue to show resilience in the face of challenges such as conflict, displacement, and economic hardship.

It also calls on governments and communities to strengthen support for girls’ education, leadership, and protection.

Governor Radda said that empowering the girl child remains a central focus of his administration’s human capital development agenda, describing girls as “the heart of progress and resilience in every society.”

“When a girl is educated and empowered, an entire family, and indeed a whole community, rises with her. Our goal is to build a Katsina where every girl can learn without fear, live with dignity, and lead with confidence,” the Governor stated.

“As a father and an educator, I hold a deep belief that every girl deserves the chance to dream freely, learn safely, and lead boldly. Our administration will continue to work to make this a reality,” Governor Radda affirmed.

Under Governor Radda’s leadership, Katsina State has achieved remarkable progress through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a partnership with the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Education. So far, 75 new secondary schools, 45 junior and 30 senior, have been constructed, while over 150 existing schools have been renovated and upgraded with modern classrooms, science laboratories, water systems, and toilets.

More than 104,000 girls in 255 public secondary schools have benefited from Conditional Cash Transfers, which help families keep their daughters in school. The state’s Back-to-School Campaigns have also brought over 42,000 girls back into classrooms, many returning after several years out of school.

Fifteen pilot schools have each received millions in Mega Grants for infrastructure upgrades, including ICT laboratories, libraries, and digital learning tools. Teachers across the state have undergone comprehensive training on gender inclusion, classroom safety, and modern teaching practices. To address distance-related challenges, the government introduced bicycle and transport stipends for girls in remote communities, ensuring that no girl is denied education because of where she lives.

In collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, the Radda administration has established Safe Spaces and Mentorship Clubs in Katsina, Batagarawa, Mani, and Daura, offering vulnerable girls a secure environment to learn life skills and rebuild confidence. Over 955 out-of-school girls in Katsina, Kaita, Baure, and Funtua have been trained in tailoring, catering, ICT, and crafts, while another 1,395 have re-enrolled in formal education through community sensitisation campaigns.

To support girls’ health and dignity, the government distributed 1,200 sanitary kits to promote menstrual hygiene and reduce absenteeism. Scholarships and mobility aids were also provided for indigent and physically challenged female students.

Governor Radda has transformed Skills Acquisition Centres in Katsina, Kaita, Funtua, and Baure into fully equipped training hubs. In 2023 alone, 455 girls graduated from these centres, while in 2024, 500 graduated. In 2025, five additional centres have been established in Dutsi, Charanchi, Mani, Kurfi, and Matazu, and by December the administration anticipates graduating 1,000 girls from all centres combined. Graduates receive empowerment kits, sewing machines, and start-up funds to begin their own businesses.A modern Home Economics Laboratory was also established at the Girls’ Skills Centre to enhance practical learning.

Through the Digital Katsina Initiative, hundreds of girls have been trained in ICT, coding, and digital safety. New programmes such as the Katsina Girls Coding and Robotics Club, launched in partnership with Arewa Tech Fest, are nurturing a new generation of innovators. The administration has also partnered with SMEDAN, ITF, and KASEDA to expand opportunities for women in agro-processing, crafts, and fashion design, enabling more women and girls to participate in the state’s growing MSME sector.

Determined to eliminate all forms of abuse, the Radda administration established the NASIHA Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), a world-class facility that provides free medical, legal, and psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence. Gender-Based Violence Response Desks have also been created in all LGA secretariats and police divisions. Ongoing awareness campaigns continue to discourage early marriage, street hawking, and child labour.

Working with UNICEF, the State Government developed an Alternative Care Policy for Vulnerable Children and enacted new education protection laws prohibiting street hawking during school hours.

Governor Radda further expanded the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) from three pilot LGAs to all 34 Local Government Areas, supported by a counterpart fund. Through this programme, over 5,000 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) have been established to offer entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, and seed grants to women and adolescent girls, boosting household income and community productivity. Katsina also secured 3,500 Federal TVET training slots through the Governor’s advocacy, prioritising girls from low-income households.

In just two and a half years, the sum of fund has been invested in education across Katsina State, including classroom construction, teacher recruitment, and the rehabilitation of science and technical institutions. A new Girls Science and Islamic Studies Secondary School has also been established in Zango through a public-private partnership. The Governor has pledged to construct access roads and drainage systems around the school to ensure the safety of students.

Additional boreholes, toilets, and hostels have been built to improve hygiene and learning conditions for girls. The government introduced a data-tracking system to monitor girl-child education indicators and recruited more female teachers to serve as mentors in rural communities.

To promote leadership and participation among girls, the state launched the Katsina Girl-Child Ambassadors Network, the Girls in Leadership Debates, and the Annual Girls’ Conference initiatives that encourage young girls to speak confidently and take part in community development. At the grassroots level, Ward Women Development Committees are collaborating with traditional and religious leaders to promote education, discourage early marriage, and support school enrollment.

Today, more than 100,000 girls have directly benefited from Governor Radda’s education, empowerment, and cash transfer programmes with thousands more gaining digital and vocational skills. Katsina now ranks among Nigeria’s top-performing AGILE states, earning national recognition for its measurable progress in gender inclusion and girl-child education.

Governor Radda called on parents, community leaders, civil society groups, and development partners to continue working together to create a safer, fairer, and more promising future for every girl in Katsina State.

“Today, as we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, I salute every girl in Katsina and beyond. You are the change you lead, and your voice will continue to shape the brighter future we are building together,” the Governor concluded.