News
Protecting, harnessing future of Girl-Child in Nigeria

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), adolescence is a critical period that can determine the trajectory of girls’ lives.
It is a stage at which key investments and support can set girls on a path toward empowerment, or when discrimination, recurrent constraints, harmful practices, and violence can send them down a negative spiral.
These come with lifelong consequences, not just for themselves, but for societies and future generations.
However, the girl-child all over the world has encountered some forms of challenges as a result of cultural, religious, political and social beliefs.
These challenges, quite naturally, in some cases, have made the girl-child an ‘endangered’ specie.
Some of these challenges include early marriage, pregnancy, violence at home and school, lack of funding, child/domestic labour, poor sanitation and WASH facilities, insecurity, wars and natural disasters, disabilities and “just because they are girls” as part of cultural discrimination, among others.
To find solutions to these, the global community came together under the instrumentality of the Millennium Development Goals and finally, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to see that the girl-child is liberated from everything hindering her.
It is in the light of this that October 11 was declared the International Day of the Girl- Child to celebrate female folks in general.
Our correspondent reports that the theme for the 2021 celebration is “Digital Generation: Our Generation”
Scholars, Artistes and Non Governmental Agencies have advocated the empowerment of the girl child using the tools of technology.
There is a consensus among them that access to affordable and accessible education is a right that should not be denied the girl-child.
For instance, Mrs Olufunso Owasanoye, Executive Director, Human Development Initiatives (HDI), said the girl-child can leverage technology to achieve her aspirations in life.
Owasanoye, made the assertion while addressing a group of Lagos State Secondary School Students drawn from selected schools in the various education districts.
The project, sponsored by ActionAid Nigeria and Nora’s, was organised to listen to and encourage the girl-child to be the best they can be in future.
The executive director urged the students to believe in themselves, adding that they have the ability to achieve whatever good things their mind could conceive.
She noted that God created them equally as their male counterparts with abilities to excel in all walks of life.
In addition, she said that school counselors have a lot to do in guiding the students.
According to her, confident relationship should be established between teachers and their students to enable openness in the sharing of the students’ challenges.
Owasanoye added that through technology, the girl- child could learn anything on the internet but cautioned against the use of the internet for negative and immoral reasons.
Contributing, Prof. Philip Ujomu of the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba, highlighted the primary challenge facing the girl-child to include the inability to fully implement the SDGs in terms of access to education for the girl-child.
Ujomu listed other challenges as access to healthcare, human rights, domestic violence, widowhood, among others.
However, the professor said that Nigeria had not fared badly in terms of efforts at mitigating these challenges but that constitutional reforms are necessary for more inclusion of women in participatory democracy.
He said that affirmative action for the girl-child, increase in budgetary allocation to education, youth empowerment with special reference to girls are ways the government could turn the fortunes of the girl-child.
“We have to be conscious that the girl-child is naturally disadvantaged.
“Some cultural and religious practices threaten the future of the girl-child in Nigeria,” Ujomu affirmed.
The don urged the girl-child to leverage technology in the pursuit of her dreams.
According to him, education is now available online and the girl-child should make use of the internet for self improvement.
Also, a Nigerian Actor and Comedian, Afeez Oyetoro, popularly known as ‘Saka’ , said that the girl-child has great future ahead of her.
Oyetoro said that the girl- child in Nigeria, unlike in times past, is competing with her male counterparts in the education sector.
“There is a better future for the girl- child in Nigeria unlike before where girls where not allowed to go to school.
“ In those days the girl child was forced into early marriage.
“Now, parents have seen the need for education of the girl-child,” Oyetoro said.
To encourage the girl-child, a Movie Producer, Ambassador Kolawole Princess, said she would devote some of her films and drama piece to changing the orientation of the girl-child.
Princess, producer of Mummy G.O Films, said that her scripts would contain life stories of challenges of the girl-child to teach morals in the society.
The Coordinator of Safe Mamahood, a Social Initiative Group, Ms Vivian Agomuo, advised that the WHO’s recommendations to improve the lot of the girl-child be adopted and implemented.
According to her, they include investing in the girl-child to equip them with skills, confidence, and life options through family, schools, technical and vocational education and training, and health, social and economic support systems.
“It is advised that infrastructure, services, and technology be made accessible to girls and effective in meeting their needs for safety, connectivity and mobility.
“Also, facilitating girls engagement in civic, economic and political life as well as continuing to advocate against girls and women.
“There is also need to strengthen data, measurement and the evidence base in relation to the empowerment of and violence against adolescent girls,” she urged.
In summary, the girl-child indeed has a future that must be protected by every institution in the society because the girl-child is naturally disadvantaged.
Efforts should be geared towards access to education and empowerment for the girl-child to enable them contribute meaningfully to the society.
When the girl-child is empowered, it benefits all.
This is because the girl-child who is empowered grows into an empowered woman who can care better for themselves and their families, increase their earning potential, serve as active and equal citizens and change agents.
Equally, they will stimulate economic growth for themselves, their families, communities and nations.
News
2027: TMG Plans Mass Mobilisation for Tinubu
The Tinubu Mega Group (TMG) has ignited what observers are already describing as a nationwide political wave, rolling out an aggressive, multi-layered mobilisation strategy ahead of its historic May 17, 2026 National Convention in Abuja.
In a bold declaration of intent, the group, a formidable coalition of over 1,500 organisations cutting across civil society, professional bodies, labour unions, artisan networks, and grassroots movements, stated that Nigeria is witnessing the rise of an unprecedented national alignment in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development was made known in a statement signed on Monday in Abuja by Kennedy Tabuko on behalf of the National Secretariat. TMG announced that the countdown to May 17 will not be business as usual, but a relentless, coordinated national build-up designed to dominate public discourse, energise supporters, and firmly position the convention as the single most consequential political convergence in recent Nigerian history.
From the following days, the group will flood the media space with daily high-impact engagements, including front-page newspaper features, primetime television appearances, and strategic radio domination across all geopolitical zones. According to TMG, the objective is clear, to ensure that the voice of millions of Nigerians resonates in every corner of the country.
On the digital front, the group is activating a full-scale online offensive, deploying influencers, content creators, and grassroots digital networks to drive viral conversations under coordinated messaging. Daily videos, testimonials, and real-time mobilisation updates will showcase the growing momentum behind the movement.
Beyond the media, TMG revealed plans for simultaneous street-level actions across states, including coordinated road walks, market activations, and community rallies, transforming the build-up into a visible, people-driven movement.
In what it described as a “clear demonstration of unstoppable momentum,” the group confirmed that it will begin releasing milestone figures from its nationwide endorsement drive, building up to the formal presentation of 20 million signatures at the convention.
As the date draws closer, TMG will escalate its activities with a high-profile national media tour, massive outdoor visibility campaigns, and a final wave of coordinated engagements designed to ensure total national attention.
The group emphasised that the May 17 Convention will not merely be an event, but a defining national moment where a broad coalition of Nigerians will publicly and decisively endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is not just mobilisation, this is a movement. This is the convergence of millions of voices across professions, regions, and social classes. Nigeria is aligning, and the message is unmistakable,” the statement declared.
TMG further assured that all activities will be conducted peacefully and in line with democratic principles, while urging Nigerians to be part of what it described as “a historic show of unity and national direction.”
With preparations now in full throttle, all eyes are on Abuja as May 17 approaches, a date TMG insists will redefine the scale and structure of civic and political engagement in Nigeria.
News
NITDA Pursues Total Cyber Resilience, Drives Nigeria’s Digital Transformation Agenda
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is intensifying its push to position Nigeria as a globally competitive digital economy, pursuing an ambitious agenda spanning cybersecurity, digital literacy, artificial intelligence governance, and strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors.
Under the leadership of Director General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, the agency has been repositioned as a focal point for digital transformation and innovation, managing the national computer emergency response team, implementing the National Digital Literacy Framework, and driving the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2.0, all geared toward building a sustainable digital economy.
The Citizen Watch Advocacy Initiative (CWAI), in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Stakeholders Engagement, Mahmud Bello, said Inuwa’s tenure has recorded measurable gains in staff performance, institutional development, capacity building, and digital skills development for Nigerian youth at a scale not previously achieved since the agency’s establishment.
At a recent stakeholders’ meeting themed “Creating Opportunities, Breaking Boundaries,” the Director General described digitalization as the primary engine for economic transformation in an increasingly interconnected world, warning that Nigeria must deliberately position itself to harness technological advancements or risk being left behind in the global race for innovation. He noted that as Africa’s largest economy by GDP, Nigeria stands at a pivotal crossroads where the digital sector offers a strategic pathway for economic diversification and job creation.
NITDA has already established over 100 information technology centres nationwide to support learning and bridge the digital divide, though the Director General stressed that the long-term sustainability of these infrastructures depends on deeper cooperation across all sectors of the economy.
On the cybersecurity front, Abdullahi sounded a major alarm at the 2026 GITEX Africa Summit, declaring that the era of treating cybersecurity as a routine IT problem is over. Speaking on the theme of Total Resilience, he argued that as artificial intelligence-powered threats grow more elusive and destructive, Nigeria’s defense strategy must evolve into a multi-dimensional approach involving every level of society, from government institutions down to individual citizens.
“Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue. It is a strategic imperative for national development. We must think beyond technology alone and build resilience through people, processes, regulations, and infrastructure,” he said.
Citing data showing that 95 per cent of all digital breaches originate from human error, Abdullahi argued that even the most sophisticated encryption is rendered useless when the human element is compromised. NITDA’s response is a drive to turn every Nigerian citizen into what it describes as a “human firewall,” the first and most critical line of defense against AI-driven attacks.
To that end, the federal government has launched a comprehensive National Digital Literacy Programme with a target of achieving 95 per cent digital literacy nationwide by 2030, with an interim benchmark of 70 per cent by 2027. The “3 Million Tech Talent” programme complements this effort, developing Nigerian expertise across cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence through hackathons, innovation challenges, and mentorship schemes.
NITDA is also deepening its institutional partnerships to secure critical infrastructure, working with agencies including the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, the Federal Character Commission, the Corporate Affairs Commission, ICPC, NYSC, SMEDAN, and NigComSat, among others.
In a demonstration of its commitment to policy dialogue, NITDA recently hosted the Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Professor Ayo Omotayo, alongside participants of the Senior Executive Course 48 in 2026 for a strategic study tour. The engagement focused on digital innovation’s role in driving sustainable economic growth, with particular attention to what the agency described as the Orange Economy, a creative and intellectual property-driven sector encompassing digital content creation, film animation, and digital art.
“With our youthful population and rich cultural assets, Nigeria is well-positioned to become a global leader in the Orange Economy if we deepen collaboration and investment across the ecosystem,” Abdullahi stated.
At the Nigerian Satellite Week 2026 in Abuja, themed “Harnessing Space Technology for an Extraordinary Nigeria,” the NITDA chief outlined four principles he said should guide digital transformation: enabling rather than controlling the ecosystem; prioritizing networks over institutions; developing talent while supporting innovation; and focusing on platforms rather than isolated projects. He noted that Nigeria’s emerging space technology sector is now a significant economic driver, with the country’s “Sunrise Packet” projected to contribute over 1.5 billion United States dollars to the economy by 2030.
CWAI, which described cyber resilience as “a collective responsibility,” called on all sectors to support NITDA’s initiatives, including platforms such as GITEX Africa, GITEX Nigeria, and Digital Nigeria, which provide visibility for start-ups while attracting investment, partnerships, and mentorship to fuel inclusive national growth.
News
“Nigeria’s Biggest Ever Coalition, Civil Groups, Professionals, Labour, Artisans, Declare for Bola Tinubu”
In what is being described as an unprecedented political development ahead of the 2027 general elections, a broad-based national coalition cutting across civil society organisations, professional bodies, labour groups, artisan associations, and other grassroots networks has announced plans to formally endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.
The coalition, spearheaded by the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, COCSON, now extends far beyond the traditional civic space, bringing together over 1,500 groups from diverse sectors of the Nigerian society. Participants include human rights organisations, medical and legal professionals, trade and artisan unions, community-based organisations, and influential labour leaders, reflecting a wide national spread and multi-sectoral backing.
The historic convention is scheduled to hold on May 17, 2026, where leaders and representatives of the various groups are expected to converge in what organisers say will be the largest endorsement gathering in Nigeria’s history. The event will serve as the official platform for the coalition to collectively declare support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
In a major demonstration of grassroots mobilisation, the coalition also revealed plans to submit a compiled total of 20 million signatures of Nigerians who have endorsed the President’s candidacy. The signatures, gathered through extensive nationwide engagement, are being positioned as a clear indication of public support cutting across regions, professions, and social strata.
Organisers of the event stated that the decision to back President Tinubu is driven by what they described as tangible strides in economic reforms, governance, and national stability. They emphasised that the inclusion of non-traditional actors such as artisans, market groups, and labour unions underscores a broader national consensus that transcends the usual civil society framework.
Political analysts say the scale and diversity of this coalition mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, where support structures are no longer confined to political parties and elite stakeholders but are increasingly driven by a fusion of grassroots and professional constituencies.
As momentum builds towards the May 17 convention, observers are keenly watching how this expansive alliance will shape political narratives and influence voter sentiment in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.
Further details on the convention and breakdown of participating groups are expected to be unveiled in the coming days.
In what is being described as an unprecedented political development ahead of the 2027 general elections, a broad-based national coalition cutting across civil society organisations, professional bodies, labour groups, artisan associations, and other grassroots networks has announced plans to formally endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office.
The coalition, spearheaded by the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, COCSON, now extends far beyond the traditional civic space, bringing together over 1,500 groups from diverse sectors of the Nigerian society. Participants include human rights organisations, medical and legal professionals, trade and artisan unions, community-based organisations, and influential labour leaders, reflecting a wide national spread and multi-sectoral backing.
The historic convention is scheduled to hold on May 17, 2026, where leaders and representatives of the various groups are expected to converge in what organisers say will be the largest endorsement gathering in Nigeria’s history. The event will serve as the official platform for the coalition to collectively declare support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
In a major demonstration of grassroots mobilisation, the coalition also revealed plans to submit a compiled total of 20 million signatures of Nigerians who have endorsed the President’s candidacy. The signatures, gathered through extensive nationwide engagement, are being positioned as a clear indication of public support cutting across regions, professions, and social strata.
Organisers of the event stated that the decision to back President Tinubu is driven by what they described as tangible strides in economic reforms, governance, and national stability. They emphasised that the inclusion of non-traditional actors such as artisans, market groups, and labour unions underscores a broader national consensus that transcends the usual civil society framework.
Political analysts say the scale and diversity of this coalition mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, where support structures are no longer confined to political parties and elite stakeholders but are increasingly driven by a fusion of grassroots and professional constituencies.
As momentum builds towards the May 17 convention, observers are keenly watching how this expansive alliance will shape political narratives and influence voter sentiment in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.
Further details on the convention and breakdown of participating groups are expected to be unveiled in the coming days.
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