FG distributes two million sanitary towel packs, school materials to girls

The federal government has commenced the distribution of two million packs of sanitary towels and learning materials to girls in public basic education schools across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to improve school attendance and retention.

The initiative, tagged Flow with Confidence, Keeping Every Girl in School, was launched on Monday by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.

The event was held under the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”

Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the intervention as an investment in the dignity, well-being and educational future of Nigerian girls.

Alausa commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritising children in national development and praised the First Lady for her sustained advocacy for girls’ education.

He said the Federal Ministry of Education was working to institutionalise the programme through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment project.

According to him, UBEC will make annual budgetary provisions for sanitary towels, while the AGILE project will sustain menstrual hygiene interventions throughout its implementation.

In addition to sanitary towels, beneficiaries will receive school bags, shoes, exercise books, mathematics textbooks and other writing materials.

The First Lady, in her remarks, commended the ministry and UBEC for expanding the programme and integrating it into the basic education system.