Governors mobilise support for girl-child education 

The 36 state governors of the federation have approved and scheduled an international conference in Abuja aimed at securing quality education for the girl-child.

The conference, being coordinated by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), also aimed at mobilising funds for the genuine empowerment of girls.

A statement by NGF’s Head of Education Department, Ebenezer Leo, said that the conference, which would be held at the Presidential Villa next week, aligns with the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s Resolution 66/170 adopted on December 19, 2011, which established the International Day of the Girl-Child.

Besides, the Forum said that the conference reaffirms state governors’ commitment to addressing the challenges that girls face in Nigeria, particularly in education.

The governors said that with the theme, “Girl-Child Empowerment through Quality Education,” the international conference will launch the Girl-Child Education Volunteers’ Advocates (GICEVA) initiative, a platform designed to engage volunteers in advocating for girl-child education across Nigeria.”

They said that “the conference would also unveil the girl-child ambassadors, who will represent the commitment to girl-child education among the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) corps members in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”

“Key objectives of the conference include the official launch of GICEVA, which aims to mobilise volunteers through the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Community Development Service (CDS) groups to promote girl-child enrolment in local councils across Nigeria.

“Additionally, the unveiling of the Girl-Child Ambassadors will celebrate the academic successes of top graduates, empowering them to advocate for girls’ education in their states, with coordination provided by an overall ambassador for a one-year term.”

The statement further stated that the conference would pave the way for the signing of a declaration by the states’ Commissioners for Education, affirming their commitment to support and fund girl-child education in the country up to the Senior Secondary School (SSS) level.