Encourage girl child to study science education – Rector urges leaders

Dr Francisca Nwafulugo, Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Oko, has urged all tiers of government, and religious and cultural bodies to encourage the girl child to study science for the nation’s quick advancement.

Nwafulugo, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), made the call on Thursday in Ikorodu, Lagos State, at the second Felicia Agubata Science Competition and Scholarship for Girls in Public Schools (FASCOS).

FASCOS is an annual competition based on Arithmetic, Quantitative Reasoning, Basic Science and Civic Education.

It is organised in honour of Dr Felicia Agubata, a former President of Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), for igniting passion for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in young girls for career opportunities.

In her keynote address, the rector enumerated factors preventing the girl child education and measures to be adopted.

According to her, the measures include legislation toward properly harnessing the potential of girls in achieving rapid national growth.

She pointed out statistics of negative consequences of keeping the girl child away from sciences while listing educated women making Nigeria proud locally and globally.

“These call for collaborative effort by the government, religious bodies and traditional institutions to put measures in place that will eliminate these barriers to girl child education.

“Having said that, I wish to call on all tiers of government to promote and substantially fund science education in order to position the nation on the path of technological advancement,’’ she said.

Nwafulugo commended Agubata, for her interest in development of the girl child whom she described as “great asset that should never be jeopardised’’.

She noted that science drove global discoveries and inventions and Nigeria needed to build inclusive capacity for boys and girls to compete together in a healthy environment that was not gender discriminatory.

President of APWEN, Dr Elizabeth Eterigho, backed the keynote speaker on statistics on discrimination against girls in education which was creating a vacuum that should be urgently addressed.

Eterigho said FASCOS, inaugurated in 2021, was to create opportunity via a scholarship scheme for the less privileged girls to embrace and study science.

“Science is a powerful tool to shape the world and make it a better, safer, more creative, innovative and exciting place to be. Yet, there are lots of girls who are out of school because of insufficient funds to pay their fees,’’ she said.

Also, Mrs Monsurah Alagbe, Chairman, APWEN Lagos Chapter said the association birthed over 38 years ago had been championing opportunities for the girl child toward career options in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 11 primary schools took part in the quiz competition and cash prizes were given to the best performing pupils among the winners.

NAN reports that Miss Justina Achem, from Anwarul Islamiya Primary School, Elepe, second runner up, won N50,000.00 while Amarachi Abebe of Methodist Primary School Elepe won N75,000.00 as the first runner up.

Miss Anthonia Nkwogu, from PowerField Primary School went home with N100,000.00 and several other gifts for coming first for her school.

Nkwogu thanked the organisers and advised other pupils to choose careers in the sciences because the world was going digital.