FG reaffirms commitment to girl-child education, empowerment

The Federal Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing gender disparities in education and creating safer and more inclusive learning environments nationwide.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, gave the assurance on Monday in Abuja at an event to commemorate the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.

The theme of the event is ”The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead”.

Olatunji-David, said the government was strengthening policies and programmes to improve girls’ access to education, retention, transition and completion.

”The International Day of the Girl Child is not just a symbolic event. It is a reminder that girls’ rights are human rights.

”As Ministry of Education, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening girl-friendly policies at all levels of the education system.

”We also reaffirm our commitment to expanding access to secondary and tertiary education for girls, especially in STEM fields,” she said.

She added that the government was implementing the National Policy on Gender Education and collaborating with development partners and non-governmental organisations to expand safe learning spaces.

She said the initiatives also included menstrual hygiene support and scholarships to encourage school attendance.

According to her, the government is adopting an integrated approach that combines education with health; protection and empowerment to enable girls fulfil their potential.

She cited the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Lumina Project for Girls as part of efforts to improve educational opportunities and equip girls with relevant skills.

Olatunji-David said the ministry would also expand girls’ access to secondary and tertiary education, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

She added that the government would promote digital literacy, leadership development, vocational training and life skills, while strengthening protection against gender-based violence.

The permanent secretary stressed the need to ensure that girls’ voices were represented in decisions affecting their education and future.

She called on parents, communities, faith-based organisations, educators, donors and the private sector to take collective responsibility in ensuring that girls were safe, educated, respected and empowered.

She identified poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence and limited access to education and safe learning spaces as some of the challenges confronting girls across the country.

“Across Nigeria, millions of girls are proving every day that they have the courage, the intelligence, and creativity to lead; yet many continue to face obstacles such as poverty, child marriage, gender-based violence, limited access to education, and sometimes lack of safe places.

”And this restricts their dreams and hinders their potential,” she said.

Olatunji-David also said that the ministry was implementing policies and programmes to eliminate gender disparities in school enrolment, retention, transition and completion.

She added that the partnerships with development agencies and non-governmental organisations had helped expand safe learning spaces, provided menstrual hygiene support and offered scholarships to encourage school attendance.

Earlier, the Director of Secondary Education in the ministry, Adeniji Ibrahim, said the celebration provided an opportunity to reflect on progress made in promoting girls’ rights and welfare, as well as the challenges that continued to limit their development and participation in society.

He urged schools to provide safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments, while encouraging girls to pursue education, develop confidence and aspire to leadership positions.

”The girl child is not merely a beneficiary of education; she is a future leader, a potential scientist, a teacher, an entrepreneur, a policymaker and a catalyst for national development.

”When we educate, protect and empower a girl, we invest not only in her future but also in the future of her family, community and nation,” he said.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Education Officer in Abuja, Blessing Afuwai, said one in every four girls in Nigeria was out of school, while nearly three-quarter lacked foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Afuwai attributed the situation to poverty, insecurity, unsafe learning environments and harmful cultural practices, which exposed girls to child marriage, adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence.

She noted that poverty forced some families to keep their daughters out of school, while insecurity and learning environments further compounded the problem.

”When girls are denied opportunities to learn and develop skills, their prospects for employment, economic empowerment and meaningful participation in society are significantly diminished,” she said.

She urged the government, communities and development partners to bridge the gap between their aspirations and the realities confronting them.

She reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the federal government to ensure that every girl enrolled in school, acquired relevant skills and completed her education.

A student of Federal Government College, Kwali, Abuja, Victory Hope-Omenma, called on the government to provide scholarships, improve hostel safety and make sanitary pads more accessible to girls.

Hope-Omenma said child marriage, low self-esteem and others were among the challenges affecting girls.

She also urged schools to provide more education on menstrual hygiene and encourage girls to recognise and develop their talents.

Similarly, Angel Daniel, a student of Federal Government Girls College, Bwari, Abuja, commended the ministry for celebrating the girl child.

Daniel said the celebration would encourage girls to pursue education and recognise their value in society.

She called for an end to child marriage, noting that it deprived many girls of the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually to promote girls’ rights and highlight the challenges they face worldwide.