FORMER United States (US) Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, and the wife who is the Vice President, Africana Consultants US, Dr. Arese Carrington, Pfizer pharmaceuticals and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) have tasked government at all levels to do more in enforcing girls and women right to health and education.

The experts, yesterday, in Benin City, Edo State, at the Eminent series lectures with the theme ‘’Nigeria and the future of the Black World and the female imperative in Africa” said that the gravity of gender inequality is a pin in the neck of Nigeria and the rest of the World.

Arese Carrington, said: ‘’Some may challenge the phrase that, ‘Nigeria is the giant of Africa’. But there is no question that by her sheer population of over 160 million people, which is the largest in Africa, She is a giant. So, what happens in Nigeria has a direct or indirect impact on the rest of Africa.’’

Arese affirmed that UNIBEN had realized its imperative in the female. ‘’Education is the passport to freedom. Hence, we must speak the truth to ourselves. With education, no one can pull the wool over our eyes.
Adding, she said that education gives one the ability to think for oneself and analyse things critically. “An uneducated population is a population in bondage.’’

According to her, there is patriarchal treatment ruling Nigeria. ‘’Education, health and income generation form the axis of development. So, it is essential for women to have access to these. They need to be given the opportunity to advance in science and technology.’’

Explaining further, she maintained that a lot of women are gifted in Mathematics and Science but lamented that some can’t harness this potential to halt the problems that have stunted the growth in Africa. ‘’Nigeria must move from patriarchal society to a gender – equal one.

Still on the fence of equality among all, Dr. Arese disclosed that a United Kingdom (UK) study on gender issues in Nigeria. The data shows that of the total population, 49 per cent are female (about 80.2 million are girls and women). Nearly one out of every four females in sub-Saharan Africa is a Nigerian.

Hence, she said: ‘’Nigeria must, thus, lead the change in stopping education disparity, dehumanization and control of women. Nigeria and Africa’s future is dependent on not discarding the role of females in the society nor their potentials to contribute economically and politically.’’

Indeed, there is no gain saying then that Nigerian women, if given the opportunity, are weapons of massive development, in her words. ‘’Rwanda has harnessed this opportunity. After the genocide, the women were in the forefront in the reconstruction and the emotional healing of the nation. Realizing this, President Paul Kagame made the extra effort to empower women. Half the Supreme Court population is female.

She emphasised that the 2015 data from the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) shows that in Rwanda 63.8 per cent of the lower chamber of parliamentary and 38.5 per cent of the upper chamber are women. ‘’But in Nigeria, only 5.6 per cent and 6.5 per cent are women in the lower and upper chambers respectively.

Notwithstanding, UK 2012 study data revealed that Nigeria ranks 118 of 134 countries in the Gender Equality Index; women make up only 21 per cent of the non-agricultural paid labour force; the majority of women are concerned in casual, low-skilled, low-paid informal sector employment.

Unfortunately, the health system in Nigeria continues to mourn the maternal mortality rate afflicting her women. Hence, the medical doctor and International Public Health Consultant, Arese said: ‘’Statistics show that each day, 144 Nigerian women die in childbirth, which is equivalent to one death in every 10 minutes.’’

‘’Women don’t have to die because they want to give birth. Birth should be a thing of joy. It is essential for omen to have access to education. It is, therefore, important.’’

According, she said that only 15 per cent of women have bank accounts. Girls from poorer families are more likely to marry young and have worse health outcomes. Nigeria has two per cent of the world‘s population.

Of course, knowing how over 200 Chibok girls were yanked from their schools in Chibok city, Borno state, she said, ‘’Chibok girls were abducted for the mere reason of trying to get educated. The worse hit is that five and the half million primary school age girls are not in school. In the popular Ore route, there are more young girls hawking.’’

So, the Edo state born – who stopped at nothing to boost the morale of participants – applauded Liberia, Malawi and the central Africa Republic having had their first female presidents. ‘’In America, however, we have not achieved that. But I’m hoping that in the nearest future, she should have a female president.’’

Other areas exhumed for attention included: placing more women in finance to take leading roles and help ensure economic growth; the laws to protect women and children should be written so there is no ambiguity, thus they cannot be tampered with. ‘’With the on –going Boko Haram conflict, women should be protected.’’

Meanwhile, speaking on ‘Nigeria and the future of the Black World’, the former Ambassador to Nigeria from 1993 to 1997 boldly said that the President, Muhammadu Buhari would make life uncomfortable for the few Nigerians, who corruptly enrich themselves to the detriment of the vast majority of the people.