The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has launched the distribution of two million packs of sanitary towels and learning materials to girls in public basic education schools countrywide, in a fresh push to tackle barriers to girls’ education and improve school retention.

The initiative, tagged Flow with Confidence 2.0: Keeping Every Girl in School, was flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.

Under the programme, beneficiaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will receive sanitary towels and back-to-school materials, including school bags, shoes, exercise books, mathematics textbooks and writing materials.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, said the intervention was designed to address challenges that prevent girls, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, from attending school regularly and participating fully in learning.

“Our message is clear: no girl child should have to choose between her dignity and her education,” Garba said.

She stressed that the inability to afford sanitary products should not force girls to miss classes, describing menstrual hygiene support as an important component of efforts to improve school attendance, retention and learning outcomes.

Garba said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises education and human capital development, while commending the First Lady, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, for supporting interventions aimed at expanding educational opportunities for girls.

The programme builds on the original Flow with Confidence initiative launched by the First Lady on October 2, 2025, through which 370,000 schoolgirls in rural communities received a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads.

According to Garba, the expansion represents a further step towards ensuring that menstrual health challenges, poverty and other preventable barriers do not undermine girls’ access to education.

Beyond the sanitary towel distribution, UBEC also plans to provide financial support to vulnerable learners through its Learners Retention Support Programme, which is expected to benefit 100,000 pupils in its first phase.

Each beneficiary is expected to receive N20,000, bringing the total allocation for the intervention to N2 billion. The support is intended to ease financial pressures on families and help prevent children from dropping out of school.

Garba urged state governments, State Universal Basic Education Boards, traditional and religious leaders, parents, teachers and development partners to ensure transparent implementation and that the materials and financial assistance reach the intended beneficiaries.

She also disclosed that UBEC had facilitated the construction of more than 4,000 classrooms nationwide in less than three years, alongside the provision of water and sanitation facilities, learning materials, teacher development programmes and digital technology in public schools.

The commission, she added, had provided back-to-school materials to more than three million pupils in the preceding year, while interventions undertaken with relevant agencies and stakeholders had helped return approximately 700,000 out-of-school children to classrooms.

Garba assured parents and stakeholders that UBEC would continue to work with the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, SUBEBs and development partners to strengthen school infrastructure and improve enrolment, attendance and retention, particularly among vulnerable learners.

Addressing the beneficiaries, she said: “To our beautiful daughters, your dreams matter, your voices matter, and your future deserves every opportunity we can give you.”

She maintained that keeping girls in school remained a shared national responsibility and a critical investment in Nigeria’s human capital development.

 

Also, the First Lady commended UBEC for expanding the sanitary towel initiative, noting that keeping girls in school required deliberate action to address challenges that affect their education, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

She also called on state first ladies, commissioners for education and SUBEB chairmen to ensure accountability in the distribution of the materials and scholarship support.

Tinubu urged traditional rulers, religious leaders and other community stakeholders to help eliminate the stigma associated with menstruation, stressing the importance of creating an environment in which girls can pursue their education with dignity and confidence.

Alausa described the initiative as another step towards securing the education and future of Nigerian girls, saying the Federal Government’s reforms were designed to widen access to learning and address barriers preventing children from completing their education.

He urged students to take advantage of available government interventions, remain committed to their studies and prepare to contribute to national development.