The National Vice President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Zone D, Mrs. Chizoba Ogbeche, has enjoined governors of the North-Central states and the first ladies as well as the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to make deliberate efforts towards boosting girl-child education and safety in schools.
The NAWOJ vice president handed the charge in a press statement to mark the 2024 International Day of the Girl-Child with the theme: ‘Girls’ Vision for the Future.’
She noted that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted resolution 66/170 declaring October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child on December 19, 2011 to address the challenges girls face across the world promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
Ogbeche decried that fact that, “Education Opportunities for Girls in Nigeria as published by UNICEF in June 2022: “Poor retention in school is a major challenge: 11 per cent of learners, and even more girls, drop out of school at each grade level.
“…7.6 million girls are out of school in Nigeria: 3.9 million at the primary and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level. More than 50 percent of girls are
not attending school at the
basic education level. In each cohort one million girls drop out between the first and last year of primary school, and 0.6 million
between primary six and JSS one.”
UNICEF further revealed that gender parity in net
attendance ratio is below
1.0 in 10 states, primarily in
the North, however, recommending that, “Supporting girls through increased secondary education and skills development is necessary to delay early marriage, child-birth, improve health and empowerment and drive economic growth.”
The vice president urged the governors, their first ladies and the Minister of FCT to revise the disproportionate gender parity in attendance ratio in their states by investing in the potential of the girl-child and supporting their vision for a better future.
“Invest in proven solutions accelerating progress towards a future in which every girl fulfils their potential,” Ogbeche urged.
On safety in schools, she maintained that, “There is the urgency for the strengthening of the inter-security network of the states to checkmate cross border crimes.”
She, therefore, enjoined the various first ladies in the North-central states to be in the vanguard of girls’ rights and reproductive health, amongst other issues that affect the girl-child.
