By Rakiya A,Muhammad
The presence of dropout girls selling food on school grounds presents a paradoxical picture. The institution of education, a knowledge repository, has inadvertently transformed into a bazaar of unfulfilled aspirations. Perpetually elusive ambitions entwine with the aroma of culinary delights.
The situation illustrates the grim realities of the lives of many girls trapped in a survival cycle that prioritises immediate necessities above long-term goals.
It was the case with five food vendors whom this writer encountered while investigating the dropout dilemma in Sokoto.
All five, from diverse households, shared a common struggle: they had to leave school due to financial difficulties. Their shared experience underscores the pervasive nature of the issue.
“Economic hardship forced us to quit school. Our families are battling for survival, so we make ends meet by selling food,” Habiba Adamu reveals, her voice tinged with regret and determination.
Habiba was enthusiastic about school and excelled in her Basic Education Certificate examinations (BECE). However, her father’s retirement from work and subsequent lack of benefits forced her to withdraw from her studies and engage in trade.
A trace of resignation now lingers in the eyes of these girls, whose once brilliant hopes of becoming engineers, teachers, or doctors have faded.
A bitter reminder of hopes dashed, a glimmer of what might have been appears on their faces every time they meet the gaze of a passing student—another girl free to follow her dreams.
Annually, hundreds of children, especially girls, exit the educational system before they envision their futures.
Notwithstanding the inherent right to education and the value of learning, the stark reality is that numerous Sokoto State girls discontinue their education due to various factors, frequently stemming from cultural, economic, and structural pressures.
Cultural traditions often prioritise male education over female education, leading to a disturbing disparity. A significant number of girls depart to undertake domestic obligations. Some as young as 12 encounter early marriages, which constitute a substantial impediment to their schooling. Marriage truncates their education, as society expects them to take on the roles of wives and mothers.
“When I started my monthly period, my family indicated it was time for me to remain home and prepare for matrimony.” “I never desired that!” states Aisha Aliyu, who discontinued her education in JSS1.

The economic challenges exacerbate this situation. Some families facing financial difficulties perceive a girl’s education as a luxury. Financial necessity compels some families to remove girls from school to augment household income.
“After my father’s death, I had to drop out of school to assist my mother,” discloses Fatima Isa, who stopped her education after completing primary six.
Her mother wants her daughter to receive an education but points to their challenges in getting food on the table.” In the absence of sustenance, what options remain available to us?
Hajiya Lubabatu Muhammad, Principal Government Girls Day Secondary School Runjin Sambo observes that poverty is militating against girls’ education despite the government’s efforts in the sector.
She reveals, “Presently, there are a lot of students we have to pay for; there are some students I am giving money for breakfast out of my pocket just to make them come to school.”
Over the years, the dream of education has remained a distant hope for many girls in Sokoto despite existing educational policies recognising this crisis and highlighting interventions to reduce dropout rates among girls.
Policy Intervention
The Sokoto State 10-Year Strategic Plan (2011-2020), a comprehensive roadmap for the state’s education sector, identifies the growing number of school-age children out of school as the biggest challenge to the state’s realisation of Education for All (EFA).
It identifies gender access and other challenges and proposes plans and initiatives to combat the causes of school dropout among girls.
One of the strategic plans included increasing the rate of enrolment and retention, particularly for girls, reducing dropout/withdrawal rates, reducing gender inequality in access to education, and improving the transition from SSS to tertiary education.
These plans include incentives to encourage participation, school infrastructure improvements, and community awareness campaigns.
Gaps Persist
However, years later, the reality on the ground leaves much more to desire.
With such policies aiming to support girls’ education, the question arises: why do many young girls still drop out?
The answer lies in a complex web of systemic barriers.
“The policies are comprehensive on paper. They address numerous issues like poverty, infrastructure, and cultural barriers. However, the execution presents a significant challenge, as noted by Idris Ali, an education policy expert.

“Often, there is a disconnect between policy and execution. Lack of funding, insufficient infrastructure, and bureaucratic hurdles hinder progress. Furthermore, large-scale issues such as insecurity often overshadow educational agendas.”
He continues, “The policies exist, but we often see a gap in their implementation.” Funding, resources, and political will are lacking, particularly in rural areas, leading to an unmet need for educational facilities.”
The distance to school was one of the significant barriers the Sokoto State Strategic Plan wanted to tackle. For many, the nearest school is several miles away.
The lack of secondary schools in many communities means that many girls’ educational journeys abruptly halt once they finish their lower-level schooling.
As a result, many students drop out due to a lack of accessible schooling opportunities, even though they want to complete their education.
Mallam Muhammadu Aliyu, a community leader, explains that most families believe allowing their girls to go outside their areas for schooling is too dangerous and financially demanding.
Taking a Stand
Professor Mustapha Namaka, Director General of the Agency for Female Education, notes many dropouts and those who have never attended school.
However, he asserts that the current administration is committed to addressing the issue, stating that education is the second item on their nine-point agenda.
“I assure you of His Excellency Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s resolve to support any initiatives aimed at advancing education,” Namaka declares.
Given the prevailing challenges, the Sokoto State government is executing the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, a World Bank-supported initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education. This project seeks to enhance secondary education opportunities within the state by addressing the various obstacles that hinder girls from accessing and completing their education, including socio-cultural barriers, financial limitations, and infrastructural shortcomings. It aims to boost the attractiveness of education for adolescent girls, their parents, communities, and educational institutions.
“We recognise the obstacles that girls encounter in their quest for education,” the education commissioner, Tukur Alkali, explains, “We craft our policies to tackle these issues through the establishment of scholarships, the construction of additional schools, and the formation of supportive networks.”
Dr. Mansur Isa Buhari, the State Program Coordinator for AGILE, highlights the complexities surrounding girls’ education and the project’s approach to tackling these issues.
“Due to poverty, girls often resort to street hawking, which is why AGILE includes a component known as the conditional cash transfer. This financial initiative aims to provide cash incentives specifically to these girls, particularly those in transitional classes,” he explains.
“We will identify the most disadvantaged households within communities and provide them with financial support at the end of each term to facilitate their education.” The move addresses the issue of dropout rates and enhances enrollment figures.”
“AGILE will empower the girls not through material possessions but by imparting skills; they will acquire competencies essential for navigating the economic landscape.”
He reveals that the AGILE program will benefit 448 schools in Sokoto, including mixed junior and senior secondary schools.
It encompasses additional essential elements, such as menstrual hygiene initiatives aimed at ensuring girls remain in school and the incorporation of life skills into the educational curriculum.

Dr. Buhari also highlights the Second Chance component of the project.
“A second chance component enables married women to continue their education until completion. This initiative is crucial, as we have had instances where individuals marry after JSS1 or primary school, lacking the educational foundation necessary to navigate the complexities of life effectively,” he explains.
“We engage with communities to persuade husbands and fathers to permit their return to school, which is why we have established learning centres throughout the 23 local government areas of the state.”
According to the state coordinator, the project received N150 million of the state government’s counterpart money.
He adds, “Implementation started in July/August of this year, so we are merely three months into the project, and the impact is already evident.”
A chance encounter occurred with scores of mothers who gathered at a secondary school to facilitate their daughters’ return to education after having previously dropped out.
“We heard the announcement on the radio about AGILE that parents of girls who are out of school should send them to school even if they do not have a uniform; the program will support them,” says Malama Mariya Mohammed from the Gidan Ganaku area of Sokoto.
Due to the family’s financial circumstances and her husband’s illness, the mother of five—four girls and one boy—discloses that her daughters had stopped attending school.
“Since I lack the wherewithal, they were all at home,” she says.” With the support that the government aims to provide, we are pleased that our children can return to school; everyone desires progress.”
Hajiya Mariya’s comments embody the mothers’ aspirations for their children’s future and their confidence in the program’s capacity for beneficial transformation.

A rights advocate, Halima Ibrahim, underscores the necessity for thorough project execution to achieve the desired results.
“Despite policies aiming for progress, entrenched mindsets and systemic inefficiencies impede their implementation,” she notes.
“It is imperative that all parties are engaged to realise the project’s objectives fully. Community leaders, parents, and other stakeholders must work together to create an environment where girls feel safe, supported, and empowered to learn.”
Government is implementing the AGILE programme to tackle challenges in girls’ education. However, it is critical to formulate and education sector plan that is gender sensitive.
The United Nation Girls Education Initiative defines the Education Sector Plan as a comprehensive strategic document that offers a vision for the schooling system and identify ways to achieve it.
It notes Gender Responsive Education Sector Planning (GRESP)as the vehicle for achieving this vision as it identifies gender barriers within education system and ensures that strategies and polices ate in place to address them through the Education Sector Plan.
This report was published with collaborative support from Impact House and System Strategy and Policy Lab (SSPL).