• As NGO distributes materials worth N50m to 700 students

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, has called for equal access to quality education for every child, regardless of their socio-economic background.

Ambassador AbdulRazaq made the appeal during a lecture titled “The Need for Girl-Child Education” at an event organised by the Havilah Foundation in collaboration with Chidimma.

The event, held at Tanke Secondary School premises in Ilorin, the state capital, 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, the First Lady emphasised the importance of education in line with the Kwara State’s Ten-Year Strategic Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, while lauding the organisers for their dedication to education and support for the underprivileged students.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Rebecca Bake, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that every child counts in its education policy, urging the beneficiaries to make good use of the materials, avoid distractions, and focus on their academic goals.

Similarly, the Secretary of the Kwara 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.

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 ten-year development plan aimed at improving access to quality social services across the State.

Olumide harped on 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 that needed to be bridged in gender and educational equity.

To bridge these gaps, he said the foundation is collaborating with Seed of Praise, alongside 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 Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as a key partner, while also acknowledging the influence of journalists in raising awareness on the importance of education for young girls as well as 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, emphasising 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, adding 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) 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 Organisations and the office of the First lady, for their determination towards entrenching gender equality and emancipation of female folks in the 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 organizations for their commitment to education, particularly for adolescent girls in the community.

She praised the initiative, describing it as extraordinary and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mrs. Olumoh noted that the gesture would significantly advance the cause of quality education and gender equality, inspiring hope among the students.

Items distributed benefited 700 students from 14 public schools, comprising five primary schools, six junior secondary schools, and three senior secondary schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area.