The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has launched a nationwide drive to keep girls in school with the distribution of two million packs of sanitary towels and back-to-school learning materials to public basic schools across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The initiative, tagged Flow with Confidence 2.0: Keeping Every Girl in School, was flagged off on Monday, October 12, 2026, at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Aisha Garba, said the programme is a direct response to one of the most common but least discussed reasons girls drop out or miss classes — lack of access to sanitary products.
"Our message is clear: no girl child should have to choose between her dignity and her education," Garba said.
She said Flow with Confidence 2.0 goes beyond pad distribution, describing it as a strategic investment in the confidence, retention and future of Nigerian girls, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda which prioritises education and human capital development.
Garba lauded President Tinubu, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa and Minister of State for Education Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad for their commitment to advancing girls' education.
She recalled that the First Lady launched the maiden edition on October 2, 2025, reaching 370,000 girls in rural communities with a one-year supply of pads, and said the expanded 2.0 edition is a major scale-up.
According to her, UBEC in less than three years has constructed over 4,000 classrooms nationwide, provided water and sanitation facilities, learning materials, teacher training and digital technology, distributed back-to-school kits to over three million pupils, and supported the return of about 700,000 out-of-school children to classrooms in collaboration with stakeholders.
Under Flow with Confidence 2.0, each beneficiary will receive sanitary towels plus school bags, school shoes, exercise books, mathematics textbooks and writing materials.
Garba also announced a planned Learners Retention Support Programme scholarship targeting 100,000 learners in its first phase, with each learner receiving N20,000, totaling N2 billion, to tackle financial barriers to attendance.
She appealed to state governments, State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs), traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents, teachers and development partners to ensure transparent and accountable distribution.
Dr. Garba assured that UBEC will sustain collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, states and development partners to translate the Renewed Hope Agenda into tangible opportunities.
"To our beautiful daughters, your dreams matter, your voices matter, and your future deserves every opportunity we can give you," she told beneficiaries, adding that UBEC will continue to ensure no girl is denied education due to poverty or menstrual hygiene challenges.
In her remarks, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu commended UBEC for expanding the programme, noting that keeping girls in school, especially in rural areas, requires deliberate action to address absenteeism linked to menstrual hygiene challenges.
She reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring girls learn with dignity and confidence, and urged State First Ladies, Commissioners for Education and SUBEB Chairmen to ensure the items reach intended beneficiaries while calling on community leaders to help end stigma around menstruation. She then performed the national flag-off.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a decisive step to secure the future of Nigerian girls, commending President Tinubu for placing the Nigerian child at the centre of national development and lauding the First Lady's sustained advocacy.
He urged pupils to stay committed to their studies.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, said the programme demonstrates Federal Government's commitment to protecting the dignity of the girl child and promoting menstrual health and hygiene.