Less Than One-Third Of Nigerian Girls Attend Secondary School - UNICEF

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that Nigeria has the largest number of girls not in school and has launched an initiative tagged “Girls for Girls” (G4G) to facilitate education of girls as well as empower them with information and knowledge.

The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Fall, who announced this said the UN agency plans to facilitate the education of  one million girls in Bauchi, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

Fall disclosed this via a press statement signed by its spokesman, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, lamenting that Nigeria has the largest number of girls not in school. He explained that the initiative would help the girls build their capacity and create access to education so as to enable them to stand up for themselves.

According to him, “a vast majority of girls in Nigeria do not complete primary school. The average girl stays in school only through age nine. Less than one-third of girls in Nigeria enrol in the lower secondary school, and in northern Nigeria, less than one in 10 girls generally complete secondary education.”

“The G4G initiative is a component of the Girls’ Education Project Phase 3 being implemented in northern Nigeria through collaboration between UNICEF Nigeria and the Federal Government of Nigeria with funding from the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID).

“This phase of the Girls Education Project seeks to help put 1 million girls in school, support them to remain in school and improve their learning achievement. The focus states have the highest number of girls who do not attend school in Nigeria. G4G groups will be established in more than 8,000 Primary and Qur’anic schools by 2019,” it stated.

Fall also noted that with the commemoration of the Day of the African Child focusing on empowerment and equal opportunity for the African child, the initiative is timely especially for the girl-child.

He explained that the primary goal of the initiative is to empower girls with knowledge, skills and confidence needed to enrol and remain in school and complete their education so that they could become role models to other girls in their communities.

According to him, “the G4G initiative is a commitment to improve the quality of girls’ and ultimately women’s lives by empowering girls through education. By educating girls, practices such as early marriage will be uprooted and girls will be empowered to contribute to the development of their communities, states and Nigeria’’.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Limited Information Frustrates Young Women From Using Family Planning

Image
BY CHIOMA UMEHA, Awareness and proper understanding of family planning has been recognised to reduce maternal death among young women of reproductive age between 15 and 49. Data on Sexual Reproductive Health outcomes in Nigeria stresses the importance of focusing on adolescents. At 576 maternal death per 1,000 live births, Nigeria accounts for 14 percent of the global burden of maternal mortality (NDHS 2013/WHO 2014). Global evidence shows that young girls bear a higher burden of maternal mortality and morbidity. Data shows that the average age at sexual debut is roughly 15 years of age among adolescent mothers in Nigeria. (NDHS 2003, 2008, 2013). The National adolescent fertility rate in Nigeria is 122 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. In the North Western States, it is as high as 171 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. To stem this, the government of Lagos State with support from partners and other donor agencies has put in place youth-friendly he
Read more

Develop Specific Security Reforms To Curb Corruption In Defence Sector, National Assembly Urged

Image
  Group photograph of participants at the one-day workshop on "Capacity Building for Relevant Oversight Agencies on Anti-Corruption Reforms in Nigeria's Defence and Security Sector organised recently, by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), in collaboration with Transparency International - Defence and Security Project (TI-DSP) in Nasarawa State . National Assembly (NASS) has been urged to develop specific security reforms aimed at systematically curbing the root causes of corruption within the defence and security institutions in Nigeria. The stakeholders who during a recent a one-day workshop in Nasarawa state on "Capacity Building for Relevant Oversight Agencies on Anti-Corruption Reforms in Nigeria's Defence and Security Sector, also "advocated for the adoption of specific legislation” to curb corruption in the sector.   The stakeholders who participated recently in a one-day workshop on &q
Read more

Nestle Takes Action To Promote Safe Food And Empowers Food Vendors

Image
By Umeha Ucheoma Ogun Photo:  Funmi Osineye, Manager, Nestlé Professional Nigeria, educating the participants on the use of MAGGI seasoning. The quality and cost of these items for consumers are two factors that experts advise food businesses to always take into consideration.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a balanced diet is important for both excellent nutrition and health, and it may also lengthen life.  A variety of chronic non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, can be prevented by eating a balanced diet, which also strengthens muscles, improves immunity, strengthens bones, and keeps skin, teeth, and eyes healthy. Sadly, in a low-income nation like Nigeria, the caterers, food sellers, canteens, and "bukkas" that cater to this market sector do not always receive the support they require to offer wholesome, affordable meals that may guarantee that their clients receive the nutrients needed for optimum health.  However,
Read more