Girl-child education necessary to overcome current challenges —YALI Ambassador

THE need to provide adequate education to the girl-child formed the central focus of a one-day sensitisation campaign held at Oluwole Ogba Central Mosque, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State, on Sunday.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune at the end of the programme, the facilitator and member of Young Africa Leaders Initiative (YALI), Moriam Afolabi-Rufai, said Nigeria and Africa would overcome most of its current challenges if it would make the education of female children a priority.

“It’s not all about money,” she said, adding that “if you see your neighbour who is not going to school, you should ask them why they are not in school. We are working hard to raise a team of volunteers in this community, so that in such cases, residents can refer such children to us.

“Besides, this community has two primary schools and one junior secondary school, and education in these schools is free. We need to motivate these children to go to school.”

The event, which was attended by men, women and children, featured a lively interactive session, with questions and answers on such issues as family planning, early marriage and home management.

Most of the participants who spoke during session said educated women had a better chance of influencing their children positively than their educated fathers.

A number of participants, at the end of the seminar, publicly pledged to “advocate for girl-child education” and to “help a girl stay in school.”