The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, has called for strategic decision-making aimed at improving the lives of girls across Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday at the Girls’ Future Conference, which had the theme “Girls’ Vision for the Future,” Olawande emphasized the need for more proactive measures to empower the girl-child and ensure her participation in leadership.
In a move to inspire young girls, the minister announced that the winner of this year’s essay competition, organized in celebration of the International Day of the Girl-Child, would assume his role as a “minister for the day.”
“To celebrate this day, I will vacate my seat for the winner of this year’s essay competition to serve as the minister for a day. This gesture is to encourage her to make impactful decisions that will better the life of the girl-child,” he declared.
Olawande reiterated the ministry’s dedication to building leadership capacity among young girls, creating avenues for them to be involved in decision-making processes, and changing societal perceptions about their capabilities.
“The ministry is fully committed to supporting the development of leadership skills in the girl-child. I want to encourage every young girl to realize their potential and understand that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to, even with the smallest effort. They must be proactive in everything they do,” he added.
He further called for collaboration among ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to support the girl-child’s development and help navigate the current socio-economic challenges.
“Most MDAs already have initiatives for young women. What we need now is closer collaboration to achieve our collective goals, especially given the current difficulties,” Olawande remarked.
In her speech, the winner of the essay competition, Esther Adesoye, expressed deep concern over the alarming number of girls who are out of school in Nigeria.
“It is troubling that 7.6 million girls are out of school in this country—3.9 million at the primary level and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level,” she pointed out.
Adesoye further highlighted that over 50% of girls are not attending school at the basic education level. “Each cohort loses one million girls between the first and final years of primary school, and 0.6 million drop out between primary six and JSS one,” she explained.
Emphasizing the critical role education plays in women’s empowerment, she noted, “Education is a fundamental right for all, and it is one of the most crucial elements of empowerment for women. Educated women greatly contribute to society’s development and can share responsibilities equally with men in all aspects of life.”
Adesoye stressed that ensuring the safety of girls in school is just as important as sending them to school. “Girls must be protected from all forms of violence and abuse. Education opens minds, fosters independence, and helps individuals make informed decisions about their lives,” she said.
She concluded by stating that promoting girl-child education is crucial to preventing crimes against women, and she pledged to ensure that efforts to educate the girl-child are sustained.
The first, second, and third winners of the essay competition received prizes of ₦500,000, ₦300,000, and ₦200,000, respectively.
