Former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has launched a non-governmental organisation, Access to Education and Health Centre, to address the pressing issue of girl child education in Nigeria.
In a ceremony held in Abuja, the former lawmaker emphasised that empowering young girls through education is key to nation-building.
The launch event, which took place at four FCT schools, saw the donation of toiletries, educational materials, and other essential items worth millions of naira.
Sani, represented by the NGO’s Programme Officer, Halima Halidu Sani, expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school girls in Nigeria. He stressed that government and private citizens must make concerted efforts to reverse this trend.
In his address, Sani highlighted that over 7 million girls are currently out of school in Nigeria, with 3.9 million at the primary level and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level.
He noted that Nigeria has lagged behind in leading girl child education in Africa and within the West African sub-region.
“It is time for Nigeria to take the lead in championing girl child education through enabling laws and deliberate policies,” Sani declared.
He urged wealthy Nigerians to invest in the education of young girls, pointing out that relying solely on government initiatives was not enough to tackle the issue.
According to him, educating girls is a direct investment in the future, as they will become mothers and influential members of society.
The former lawmaker cited examples of global female figures like Benazir Bhutto, Mother Teresa, and Indira Gandhi, who made significant contributions through education.
The principals of the beneficiary schools, including Government Girls Secondary Schools in Kuje, Abaji, Garki, and Dutse, expressed their gratitude for the donations.
“This is someone who stood by us when others looked away,” said the principal of Government Girls Secondary School, Garki. “We are deeply grateful for his commitment to the education of our students.”
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