First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, has joined other African first ladies to affirm that closing the gender gap is not an act of charity but of justice.
She said that without education, girls lacked the skills to support themselves and access information to make informed choices about their health and future.
According to Special Assistant, Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, tinubu spoke at the African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) General Assembly, with the theme, “Educate Her and Transform Africa: Enhancing Access to Health and Education for the 21st Century African Women and Girls”.
Tinubu noted that it was really disturbing that social norms, like early marriage and childbearing, restrict girls’ life choices.
“Across Nigeria, other obstacles like sexual violence, family health crisis and poverty also force girls out of classrooms,” she noted. She informed the gathering that Nigeria, through the Ministry of Education, was set to establish, nationwide, Alternative High School for Girls, an initiative, which she envisioned while she was the First Lady of Lagos State.
“Identifying this gap in 2007, while serving as the First Lady of Lagos State, and realising that education is a lifelong process, I envisioned the
“Alternative High School for Girls” in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Education. The concept of alternative education for girls was birthed out of my desire to ensure that young girls who dropped out of school for reasons, such as early pregnancies, economic hardship or marginalisation due to cultural bias or social barriers, had a second opportunity to go back to school to complete and advance their educational goals, acquire skills and empowered”.
In her remarks, the Vice President of OAFLAD and First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo explained that the organisation was addressing issues pertaining to women in the continent through health, education, economic empowerment, and eradication of gender based violence.
