Bauchi Stakeholders Urge Government to Prioritise Girls’ Education in 2026 Budget

Stakeholders in Bauchi State have urged the state government to make gender-responsive education financing a top priority in the 2026 budget to ensure inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for girls.

The call was made on Tuesday at the Girls’ Budget Townhall themed “Our Voices, Our Budget: Girls Speak for Inclusive Education 2026,” organised by the Young Leaders Network (YLN) in partnership with the Malala Fund.

In a communiqué issued after the event, YLN Executive Director, Seun Justin, described education budgets as more than financial tools, noting that they are “moral documents” reflecting society’s values.

“If girls are missing in the numbers, they will remain missing in classrooms,” Justin warned, urging government at all levels, alongside development partners and civil society, to embed girls’ education in budget planning and implementation.

He emphasised that adolescent girls and young women across Bauchi have demanded urgent reforms in education financing, stressing that despite policy commitments, budget allocations still fail to address the realities of out-of-school girls, pregnant adolescents, married girls, and young mothers.

“Cycles of exclusion and inequality continue, especially in rural areas,” he said, listing barriers such as the lack of second-chance education for adolescent mothers, weak investment in WASH facilities, inadequate menstrual hygiene support, insecurity, a shortage of qualified female teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and poor accountability in budget releases.

The communiqué outlined key demands from participants, including:

Dedicated budget lines for school re-entry programmes.

Expansion of WASH facilities, safe toilets, and clean water in schools.

Funding of pad banks and menstrual hygiene initiatives to reduce absenteeism.

Recruitment and training of female teachers with gender-responsive skills.

Stronger accountability mechanisms for released funds and expenditures.

Expansion of school infrastructure such as classrooms, libraries, and ICT facilities, in line with WAEC’s new Computer-Based Testing policy.

Upgrading more junior secondary schools to senior secondary schools, especially in rural areas.

Continued support for projects like AGILE to broaden girls’ access to quality education.


Stakeholders concluded by stressing that gender-responsive budgeting is essential to breaking cycles of inequality and ensuring no girl is left behind in Bauchi State’s education system.