Troubled by the increasing rate of neglect of adolescent girls, the wife of the Kwara State governor, Ambassador Dr Olufolake Abdulrazaq, has called on parents and guardians in the country to invest in their adolescent girls, saying that such initiative promises a more equitable and prosperous future, capable of solving problems of our world.
Speaking at a book reading and discussion programme for secondary school students, sponsored by her office and her pet project, the Ajike Support Centre, in partnership with RED Africa Consulting held in Ilorin on Thursday, Ambassador Abdulrazaq said that empowered adolescent girls have the potential to change the world.
The wife of Kwara State governor, who said that more than 75 per cent of the 13.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls, added that an investment in realising the power of adolescent girls upholds their rights today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future.
“In this regard I call on all critical stakeholders to let us do everything we can to listen to girls and empower them with the individual abilities, social support and the resources they need to survive, thrive and transform their communities. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, let us know that “their voices promote an equal future for us all.
“When effectively supported during the adolescent years, you will agree with me that girls have the potential to change the world, both as the empowered girls of today and as of tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads as well as political leaders.”
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Ambassador Abdulrazaq also said that it is the right of every girl and indeed every child to have access to quality and affordable education as well as healthcare and other basic necessities for a good life in a peaceful and secure environment.
She commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State for also making the development of the girl child and indeed every child the core concern of his administration through the enactment of laws that protects and affords them the enablement required to actualise their dreams.
“As adolescents, girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years but also as they mature into women.
“It is, however, our resolve at the Ajike People Support Centre and my office to continue to support initiatives that will promote the education and welfare of the girl child, while leading advocacies to end gender-based violence, promote inclusivity of women to bridge the gender gap and stereotyping and promote the economic empowerment of not only women but the generality of the people.”
The wife of the governor, who said that the programme aimed to enlighten young girls in the state with knowledge and inspire them to be their very best, added that, “we will not relent in this drive, we will continue to support initiatives such as this as a catalyst to ensuring that the girl child stands an equal and fair competitive chance at excelling in life, as investment in realising the power of adolescent girls upholds their rights today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future, one in which half of humanity is an equal partner in solving the problems of our world.
“It is in the light of this that I commend the author of the book whose content is being shared and discussed this afternoon, Mr Adebola Williams, for choosing to make the promotion of the cause of girls a mainstream discussion and I credit him for his creative expression of the feats achieved by these notable Nigerian and African women in their respective spheres of influence.
“While today’s event stands to inspire our girls and equip them with the knowledge that they are powerful and can be anything they want to be just like the heroines featured in the passages of the book shared with them here, it will also reawaken reading culture among our students.
“It is my belief that as young girls you can draw strength from the experiences of these great daughters of Africa and in turn apply same to nurture the cause of your individual futures.”
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‘Investment in adolescent girls can change the world’
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