As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child, Nigerian tourism and community development advocate, Ambassador Remilekun Olaitan Martins, has called for the integration of girl-child empowerment into national and community development frameworks.

Speaking under the global theme “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being,” Ambassador Martins urged that girls be given active roles in cultural and community initiatives rather than being confined to symbolic participation.

“A community can only be truly empowered when its girls are given equal space to dream, lead, and thrive,” she said. “As we rebuild our communities and showcase our culture, we must ensure girls are not spectators but participants and future leaders.”

Through her organisations — Sceptre & More Concepts, Sceptre Tourism, and Ariel Remar Associates Ltd — Martins has, for over a decade, organised cultural festivals, tourism expos, and community summits aimed at promoting local heritage and entrepreneurship. Increasingly, she has used these platforms to engage young people, particularly girls, in creative, educational, and leadership activities.

Martins disclosed that she is launching a new initiative, Girls in Culture & Community (GCC), designed to mentor and train adolescent girls within cultural spaces and local community networks. The programme, she explained, would focus on equipping participants with practical skills in event management, hospitality, storytelling, and digital media, while also providing scholarships and mentorship opportunities.

“Our festivals, our community centres, our development projects — these must become launchpads for girls’ voices,” she stated. “We’re not just building infrastructure or tourism appeal; we are building lives and rewriting futures.”

She also highlighted the work of her foundation, the Remi Martins Child and Humanity Foundation, which provides scholarships to students across Nigeria. The foundation, she said, plans to collaborate with non-governmental organisations and local schools to create girl-focused training in tourism and the creative economy.

Recently honoured with Africa’s Illustrious Award for Tourism Excellence, Martins described the recognition as a reminder to deepen her advocacy. “Awards are not finish lines. They are signals — to do more, reach further, and include the next generation. Girls must be at the centre of that vision,” she said.

Martins appealed to government agencies, development partners, and private institutions to invest in programmes that connect tourism, culture, and enterprise with the empowerment of girls.

“On this International Day of the Girl Child, let’s move from celebrating girls to elevating them. They are not just tomorrow’s leaders — they are today’s changemakers,” she said.

Dr. Remilekun Olaitan Martins is a cultural strategist and community development consultant with over 15 years of experience in tourism and local empowerment. Her current focus is on using cultural identity as a tool for inclusive growth, peacebuilding, and the advancement of young women in Nigeria.