Nigeria launches initiative to distribute 2 million sanitary towel packs to schoolgirls

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched the ‘Flow with Confidence 2.0: Keeping Every Girl in School’ initiative to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child. The program, implemented by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), involves the distribution of two million packs of sanitary towels and various back-to-school materials to girls in public basic education schools across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

To further address financial barriers to education, the First Lady announced the ₦2 billion Learners Retention Support Programme. In its first phase, the program will target 100,000 learners, with each recipient receiving ₦20,000 to assist with school attendance and retention.

Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa and UBEC Executive Secretary Dr. Aisha Garba emphasized that the intervention aims to remove menstrual hygiene and financial obstacles that frequently force girls, particularly those in rural communities, to miss school. The initiative builds upon a previous 2025 program that provided sanitary supplies to 370,000 schoolgirls.