11th October, 2017
A don, Dr Jamila Aliyu-Mohammed of the Ahmadu Bello University has stressed the need for girl-child education for the benefit and well-being of the society.
Aliyu-Muhammed made the remarks in a paper titled: “Prospect of Girl-child in Northern Nigeria” presented at a workshop organised by an NGO: “Women Connect Initiative,’’ on Wednesday in Zangon Shanu, Zaria, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised as part of programmes to mark the International Day of the Girl-Child on Oct. 11.
The lecturer described the day as very significant not only to girl-child but also to the entire society.
Aliyu-Mohammed, who is also the Coordinator of the Prof. Aliyu Mohammed Foundation, remarked that without education, hardly could a person achieve something meaningful in life.
She re-echoed the adage that “when you educate a man, you educate a single person, but when you educate a woman, you educate the entire society.’’
“Remember, children usually come back from school with homework, who can assist the child, if the wife is not educated?
“We are concentrating more on girl-child education in order to build an enlighten society for the common good of all,’’ she said.
Earlier, the coordinator of the NGO, Hajiya Murjanatu Suleiman-Shika said Women Connect Initiative had given scholarships to 20 girls and three boys.
The workshop drew participants from different schools to celebrate the International Day of the Girl-Child.
The coordinator said the focus of the NGO was to encourage education of the girl-child and women as part of its social responsibility toward national growth and development.
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“A girl-child needs to be given the necessary support to be educated.
“In line with this, she said the NGO has also organised skills acquisition programmes for girl-child in the society.
“The skills acquisition is meant to encourage the women to have something doing to cater for her economic needs.
“As a woman, you need to have something doing to earn a living,’’ she said.
Suleiman-Shika lamented that there were more children out of schools in the North-East than in the other part of the country.
Also speaking, the Principal of the Unity School, Sangon Shika, Hajiya Rabi’atu Suleiman, attributed the proliferation of Almajiris in Northern Nigeria to the inability of some mothers to acquire western education.
She, therefore, thanked the NGO for its efforts of championing the girl-child education.
“No educated woman will allow her child to roam about on the streets.
“We are happy this NGO has sponsored 20 students in this school and most of them are orphans while others are vulnerable,’’ the principal said.
She described an average girl-child as the future mother, future leader, future president, governor, chairperson and councillor.