VP Shettima Stresses Importance of Girl Child Education

Nigeria’s Vice President says the most powerful tool that can be given to the girl child is education.

He made the declaration on Thursday at the opening of an International Conference on Girl Child Education in Nigeria, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: “Whatever reforms we adopt to build a safe place for educating the girl child must be championed form our communities. Policymaking involves all of us and we must engage local leaders; traditional and religious leaders to understand the implications of failing to educate the future of this nation. The most powerful tool we can offer the girl child is education.  

“Therefore, we must enhance educational programmes that inform girls and women about their rights and the risks they face if denied the opportunities to make informed choices, especially in matters of health.

“We must also work with our partners in the donor community including the World Bank, African Development Bank and other multilateral institutions to make a generational difference. While we remain grateful for their interventions, we are still looking forward to deepening this partnership.”

The Vice President, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff in his office, Ibrahim Hassan-Hadeja, stressed the importance of financing education, adding that it is an obligation that must be upheld.

“Education financing remains a critical aspect of our strategy in the last few years; we have seen a significant increase in education expenditure. For example, in 2022, states spent one trillion naira on education, representing 12% of total expenditures. By 2024, States committed 2.4 trillion to education, while the federal government allocated 2.2 trillion. This brings the combined total allocation to 4.6 trillion naira.

“Although states have 14% of their budgets dedicated to education, we must aim higher. Our campaign to see 15 to 20% of the state budget allocated to education is not just a target, but a necessity as it is the surest way to guarantee the future of our children and our nation.

“The issue of girl child education is for every nation, but in our part of the world, her vulnerability is especially pronounced. Her education is more than a moral obligation. It is the stabilizing force of our economic and social order, for every additional year a girl remains in school, her future earning potential increases, infant mortality rates decrease, and poverty levels in communities fail,” he added. 

Dangers

The Vice President warned against the dangers associated with out-of-school children saying: “The stakes are too high for us to hesitate. The risk posed by each out-of-school child should concern us all, and what we need is a concerted, multi-sectoral approach. The Federal Government, States, Local Governments, civil society and our partners in the donor community must come together with a singular focus, ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of gender or geography, receives quality education.”

Compulsory Education

Education Minister, Prof Tahir Mamman, noted with pride that the Nigerian government is focused on ensuring that all children of school age in the country are given quality education.

“The Federal Ministry of Education is essentially a policymaking arm of the government, ensuring that the right policies are implemented and that the constitutional provision requiring free and compulsory education for every child is actualized. This means that every child, girl or boy, should be an educated person.

“However, along the way, things have not worked as we had hoped; as a country, we end up with many children, especially girls, who are out of school. The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken this as a core responsibility, ensuring that no Nigerian child fails to attend school due to a lack of resources, location, or any other reasons.

“Secondly, we must ensure that when children go to school, they receive quality education. We need to guarantee that they are part of the Nigerian economy and have productive mindsets,” he said.

Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum; Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, appreciated the Forum’s partners for supporting educational development in Nigeria.

He said adequate financing will help provide qualified teachers and all the necessary tools for teaching. 

“My sincere thanks also go to all our partners for their unwavering support and commitment to this vital cause. Quality education remains the cornerstone of national socio-economic development.

“Achieving this requires robust education financing, highly qualified teachers, comprehensive instructional materials, strong advocacy, and the provision of necessary infrastructure. Initiatives to re-enroll children in schools, improve learning outcomes, and secure adequate funding are essential to ensuring that every child receives a quality education” he said.  

The two-day event was organized by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in collaboration with the Ministries of Education, Youth Development and Women Affairs. 

Lantana Nasir