By Steve Oni, Ilorin
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria [FOMWAN] is disturbed that out of the 13.2 million children that are out of school in Nigeria, 7.93 million are girls.
This disturbing figure, according to FOMWAN, represents 6.67% of Nigeria’s population.
A statement issued in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, by Hajiya Halimah Jibril and Dr. Sumaye Fadimatu Hamza, FOMWAN National Amirah and PRO respectively, said the unsavoury development prompted FOMWAN to make provision of quality education to all, especially girl child, one of its cardinal objectives.
FOMWAN has therefore advocated that education of the Girl Child, which is fundamental in fighting poverty, ignorance and disease, should be prioritised in order to move the country forward.
For this reason, FOMWAN said the International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated annually to persuade the political class to have the political will to allocate sufficient fund to education of Girl Child and to also increase awareness among citizens on the existing inequalities facing the Girl Child especially in the area of education, legal rights, and protection among others.
The statement said the 2019 theme tagged “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable” is apt and directed towards empowering girls for a brighter tomorrow.
FOMWAN nationwide, it said, would join the world to mark the day with series of activities which include placing banners at strategic locations that would pass messages of ensuring quality education to all especially the Girl Child as well as advocating provision of safe educational environment for children generally and particularly the Girl Child through appropriate messages to stakeholders.
All state branches of FOMWANit said, would carry out awareness rallies and lectures alongside government, religious and community leaders, NAWOJ, youths and parents so that collaboratively and persuasively a lot could be achieved.
FOMWAN is also participating in One Million Girls’ March for “Free and Compulsory Quality Education and increase livelihood for all girls’ in collaboration with UNICEF, Sultan Foundation for Development, World Bank and UBEC. These activities would go a long way in enhancing enrolment, retention and completion of education of children especially the Girl-Child.
FOMWAN has therefore called for proactive approach by Government and Non-Governmental Institutions to the aspect of Teacher Education which is the bedrock of quality education to all.
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