The First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRasaq, has urged equal access to quality education for every child, irrespective of socio-economic background.

AbdulRasaq made the appeal at a lecture organised by the Havilah Foundation in collaboration with Chidimma, titled: “The Need for Girl-Child Education.”

The event, held at Tanke Secondary School in Ilorin, saw the distribution of educational materials, including school bags, exercise books, mathematical sets, and uniforms to 700 students across 14 public schools.

Represented by the Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Dr. Afeez Abolore Alabi, Mrs. AbdulRasaq emphasised the importance of education in line with Kwara State’s Ten-Year Strategic Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She expressed her gratitude to the organisers for their dedication to education and their support for underprivileged students.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Rebecca Bake, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every child counts in its education policy.

She urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the materials, avoid distractions, and focus on their academic goals.

Similarly, the Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Adebisi Omolara Gloria, encouraged female students to take their education seriously and compete effectively with their male counterparts.

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The Education Secretary for Ilorin South Local Government, Mr. Ibrahim Saka, highlighted the need to empower women through quality education to help them achieve their full potential.

In his speech, CHIDIMMA and HAVILAH FOUNDATION’s National Technical Lead, Tiwatope Olumide, expressed the organisation’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Kwara State Government’s 10-year development plan aimed at improving access to quality social services across the state.

Olumide emphasised the pressing need to address issues of gender equity and access to education, particularly for the girl child.

Drawing insights from the most recent school census and baseline data, he noted the urgent gaps in gender and educational equity.

To bridge these gaps, he said the foundation is collaborating with Seed of Praise, with the support of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Kwara State Ministry of Education, to implement strategies that ensure equal access to education for girls.

While emphasising the critical role of the media in advancing the campaign for adolescent education, Olumide recognised the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as a key partner and acknowledged the influence of journalists in raising awareness of the importance of education for young girls and the active participation of boys and men in fostering a safe environment for women and girls in urban and rural communities.

Tiwatope Olumide reiterated the foundation’s holistic approach to ensuring gender equity, stressing that achieving sustainable development requires collective action across multiple sectors, including education, community safety, and media advocacy.

Project Manager for the Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Network for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) Project, Dr. Ogunshola Olufemi, noted that beneficiaries were selected based on their level of vulnerability.

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He added that school heads, principals, and representatives from SUBEB and the Ministry of Education were involved in the selection process.

Dr. Olufemi disclosed that the materials, valued at ₦50 million, were provided to support the education of less privileged pupils and students in the community.

The District Head (Alangua) of Tanke, Ilorin, Alhaji Umar Salaudeen, acknowledged the gesture of the CHIDIMMA and HAVILAH FOUNDATION and other relevant stakeholders in the provision of scholastic materials to the less privileged in his domain.

Alhaji Salaudeen applauded the NGO, as well as other supporting organizations and the office of the First Lady, for their determination towards entrenching gender equality and the emancipation of females in society.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiary schools, the Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Tanke, Ilorin, Mrs. Kuburat Olumoh, expressed deep appreciation to the donor organisations for their commitment to education, particularly for adolescent girls in the community.