The Zamfara State Council of Ulamas and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have jointly emphasised the importance of education in combating ignorance, stating that safe spaces for girls’ education are crucial to development.
This was disclosed by the representative of the Zamfara State Council of Ulamas, Malam Abdullahi Geshe, and the representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Mr Afolabi, during the manual validation of the Safe Space AGILE project in the state.
Additionally, during the stakeholders’ meeting, it was revealed that 150 intervention schools have been earmarked for safe space activities targeting adolescent girls in Zamfara State.
While declaring the three-day meeting open on Tuesday at Command Guest House in Gusau, the Permanent Secretary of Multilateral Donor Agencies and Project Coordinator of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project in Zamfara State, Hajiya Saadatu Abdu Gusau, assured attendees that the Safe Space manual would not conflict with the sociocultural values of Zamfara State.
The three-day meeting was organised by Voluntary Aid Initiative (VAI) as the lead partner, alongside the Centre for Community Excellence (CENCEX) and the Victims of Violence Foundation (VOV), in collaboration with the Zamfara State AGILE project on life skills and Safe Space manual validation.
The Permanent Secretary of Multilateral Donor Agencies explained that the Safe Space Manual Validation Meeting marks a significant step towards equipping adolescent girls and young women in Zamfara State with essential life skills for empowerment and personal development.
“As many of you know, the Safe Space initiative is part of Subcomponent 2.2a of the AGILE Project, titled ‘Critical Life Skills’, which is designed to provide adolescent girls with structured guidance on personal and menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, self-confidence, mentorship, and other critical life skills that will empower them to make informed decisions about their future,” she explained.
According to her, through the initiative, 150 intervention schools across the state will host safe space activities, benefitting 17,413 adolescent girls.
“I urge all participants to keep in mind that the Safe Space initiative is often misunderstood, making it even more important to develop a manual that is clear, culturally sensitive, and aligned with Islamic moral principles and the sociocultural values of Zamfara State,” she assured.
Hajiya Saadatu expressed appreciation for Governor Dauda Lawal’s commitment and support towards the successful implementation of the AGILE project in the state.
Those present at the validation meeting included members of the Zamfara State Council of Ulamas, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), traditional rulers, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, persons with disabilities, women’s groups, civil society organisations (CSOs), partners, and other stakeholders.
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