The wife of the Niger State Governor, Fatima Mohammed Umaru Bago has expressed concern over the barrier many girls faced that prevented them from the education they deserve.

She made the observation in her keynote address shortly after receiving the Niger State Coordinator and Members of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project as well as some female students who participated at the one million matches from Obasanjo shopping complex to Ahmadu Bahago Sports stadium in Minna, over the weekend, to commemorate the 2024 International Day of Girl Child.

The 2024 International Day of Girl Child celebration with the theme: Mentoring Session for Girls, according to the governor’s wife, this year’s theme reminds us of the possibilities that lie ahead when girls are given the opportunity, particularly through education.

She said the day emphasizes the need to acknowledge the potential of the girl child, their visions, their dreams, and their future.

Fatima Bago maintained that education is key to transforming society, adding that when a girl is educated, her family is healthier, communities are stronger and the nations prosper.

She hinted that the barriers hindering the education of a girl child include, poverty, cultural beliefs, early marriage, and lack of access to a safe learning environment among others, saying everyone must break the barrier and create pathways for every child to succeed.

“As we walk, we are walking for every girl who dreams of a better future, every girl who deserves the chance to learn, this rally is a declaration that we are not relenting until every girl in Niger State has access to qualitative education,” she said.

She however reminded the girls that their dreams are valued, and their aspirations are important, pointing out that they have the potential to be leaders and change-makers, but, they must be focused and determined.

She stressed that education is a tool that will help girls achieve their dreams, promising to support them at every step.

Bago’s wife enjoined parents and guidance to prioritize the education of girl children, encourage them to stay in school, and also let them know that an educated girl is a priceless asset to her family, her community, and her nation.

Earlier, the Niger State Coordinator, Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment(AGILE), Hajiya Maimuna Ibrahim Tahir disclosed that the project team had earlier embarked on an aggressive enlightenment campaign across the 25 Local Councils of the state on the need for parents to enroll their female ward to school.

Tahir said that there were significant improvements in 2024 enrollment.

She lauded Governor Bago for his administration’s commitment to the education of girl children.

The occasion featured counseling of the female students, and debate competition from some selected girls’ secondary schools in Minna.