The Ojo Abdulqadir Foundation (TOAF), has harped on the importance of the Girl-Child education in nation building and achieving the much desired national cohesion.
The TOAF founder, Mrs Zainab Ojo, who made this known recently while speaking with selected female secondary school students, said the importance of the girl child education cannot be overemphasized, she argued that equal educational opportunity must be given to the girl child for the country to achieve its aim of nation building and national cohesion.
Mrs Ojo, who noted with regret the unevenness in the girl child education compared to that of their male counterparts, said the time was now to close the gap to enable the country achieve its full potential.
‘’I want to appeal to our parents, guardians and policy makers to ensure that they treat the education of the girl child as important as they treat that of the male child, the future belongs to God and so we must not discriminate on the basis of gender when it comes to educational opportunity and attainment.
‘’It is grossly erroneous to say or think that the girl child should hawk for the male to have education, we must, as a matter of urgency and in the interest of our collective future stop this very unnecessary discriminating act, the girl-child,’’ she said.
She noted that as part of the NGO’s activities to support the cause of the girl-child, that TOAF in partnership with the UFO Empowerment foundation as trained students of selected secondary schools on how to become proficient in public speaking and confidence building, earlier in October during the annual independent day celebration.
Mrs Ojo noted that the activity was aimed at celebrating the National day with the students, by organsing a quiz competition on some of the historical events that have occurred before the independence, and also share some encouraging words with the students to strive to be the best they can be regardless of the environment or circumstance they find themselves.
The TOAF founder told a story of her younger self who was not a fan of public speaking but always seemed to be selected to do that until she discovered that she could speak to a crowd without panicking.
She, therefore, admonished students that failure does not determine who they are but should be a catalyst to be great.
