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 nationwide to improve attendance and reduce school dropout.
The initiative, known as Flow with Confidence 2.0: Keeping Every Girl in School, was launched by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja on Monday as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
Beneficiaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory will also receive school bags, shoes, exercise books, mathematics textbooks and other writing materials.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, said the programme was designed to address challenges that prevent girls, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, from attending school regularly.
“Our message is clear: no girl child should have to choose between her dignity and her education,” Garba said.
She said the cost of sanitary products should not force girls to miss classes, adding that menstrual hygiene support was essential to improving school attendance, retention and learning outcomes.
The programme builds on the first Flow with Confidence initiative launched by Tinubu on October 2, 2025, which provided 370,000 schoolgirls in rural communities with a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads.
Beyond the distribution of sanitary towels, UBEC plans to provide financial assistance to vulnerable pupils under its Learners Retention Support Programme.
The first phase is expected to benefit 100,000 pupils, each receiving ₦20,000, bringing the total allocation to ₦2bn. The intervention is intended to ease financial pressure on families and reduce the risk of children dropping out of school.
Tinubu commended UBEC for expanding the sanitary towel initiative and urged state first ladies, commissioners for education and chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards to ensure accountability in distributing the materials and educational support.
She also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to help tackle the stigma surrounding menstruation and create an environment in which girls could pursue their education with dignity.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the programme as another step towards securing the future of Nigerian girls. He urged pupils to take advantage of government interventions, remain committed to their studies and prepare to contribute to national development.
Garba called on state governments, parents, teachers, traditional and religious leaders, and development partners to ensure that the materials and financial assistance reached the intended beneficiaries.
She added 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 training and digital technology in public schools.
The commission also provided back-to-school materials to more than three million pupils in the preceding year, while interventions with other agencies and stakeholders had helped return about 700,000 out-of-school children to classrooms.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Garba said their aspirations and future deserved every opportunity, stressing that keeping girls in school was a shared national responsibility and an investment in Nigeria’s human capital.
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