…Sulaiman-Ibrahim advocates for girl child empowerment through education
Hilary Asemota
The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has advocated for the need to use education as a tool to reduce poverty and empower the girl child in Nigeria.
The Minister stated this during a courtesy visit of the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad to the Ministry, Wednesday at the Ministry’s headquarter in Abuja.
She referred to the visit as being apt, underscoring the importance of ensuring access to quality education for girls.
The Minister, reiterated that education is the foundation for sustainable development, and investing in the girl child will lead to long-term economic growth and societal transformation.
She expressed confidence that, in the coming years, women will dominate various sectors of the economy due to increased access to education and empowerment initiatives.
Speaking on the Ministry of Education’s Lumina Program, the Minister assured stakeholders that the initiative would stand the test of time.
She further stressed the need for a strong collaboration between the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Education in advancing the emancipation of the girl child in Nigeria.
Earlier, Prof. Ahmed, reinforced this commitment by highlighting the alarming statistics from UNICEF, which reveal that 15 million out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls.
She stated that the Lumina Program is a program strategically designed to target out of school children and also target women in terms of creating opportunities for their empowerment.
“It focuses on the well-being and educational advancement of the girl child”.
Chinwe Udouwem, in a statement on behalf of the Director, Information, Press and Public Relations, said the program, she noted, will commence with 10,000 communities, providing starter packs to support girls in accessing education and vocational skills.
“When you are fighting poverty, your number one target should be to empower women.”
Ahmad, said: “If a woman is economically viable, it is not only her family but the community will be viable and that is why we must reduce poverty by empowering Women”.
In her vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Maryam Keshinro, commended the collaborative efforts between both ministries. She emphasized that the word “Lumina” symbolizes enlightenment and will indeed illuminate the path for girls and women in Nigeria.
Keshinro reassured the Ministry of Education of full support from the Women Affairs Ministry in ensuring the program’s success.
This initiative marks a significant step toward eliminating barriers to education for girls and fostering gender equality in Nigeria.
