NGO Partners UNICEF to Promote ‘Girl Child Education’ In Borno
By Nafisat Bello
To keep girls in school and increase their enrolment number, the Girl Child Concerns, GCC, in conjunction with UNICEF has inaugurated a project tagged “Girls for Girls” in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area.
The inauguration took place in Maiduguri on Thursday at Women Development Centre.
GCC’s Program Lead, Ummulkhairi Usman described the joint effort with UNICEF as a “timely homily,” saying the Boko Haram insurgency has left many countless children on the streets, especially adolescent girls who are supposed to be in school.
She explained that the project has an immense contribution to education and girl child empowerment, adding that G4G groups would be formed in schools across Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Council, and leaders would be appointed and trained for the successful implementation of the project in the targeted areas.
According to statistics she quoted, 3.9 million girls are out of school in Northern.
“The situation of girls in Nigeria, especially in the northern part is alarming and needs urgent intervention by NGOs, INGOs, and government at different levels.
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“No less than one-third of Nigerian girls enroll in primary schools and only a negligible number of them complete their secondary education.
The problem is severe in the northeast where the insurgency has left more than 2.8 million children in need of education services,” urging parents, and guardians to give them maximum cooperation to carry out the project successfully.
Alhaji Sadiq Abdallah who represented the Borno State Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) described the Girls for Girls project as a “savior” considering the problems that are facing girls in our societies.
He called on all critical stakeholders to give the project the necessary support needed to improve the well-being of girls in school which will entice out-of-school children to develop an interest in school and consequently enrol.
In her remark, Hajiya Hauwa Goma, the Coordinator of GCC Girls Academy said that girls’ lives are of great concern to all, explaining that the consequences of neglecting them without education are grave.
She urged parents and teachers to maximally support girls and encourage and promote girl education through quality knowledge delivery which would attract people to enrol their children in schools.
The inauguration was attended by critical stakeholders comprising religious and traditional leaders, development partners, education secretaries, head teachers, and outstanding women who work in various endeavors.
