Girl-Child Empowerment Pathway To Sustainable Devt – Oyo Govt

The Oyo State government has stressed the need to invest in the girl-child, saying that advancing girls through quality health education and economic empowerment is a strategic pathway to achieving sustainable social and economic development.

The government through its Primary Health Care Board had successfully concluded the Integrated Adolescent Health and Economic Empowerment, Intervention for Girls in Oyo State, reaffirming its commitment to improving the health, wellbeing and economic independence of adolescent girls across the state.

The intervention combined adolescent health education with practical vocational skills acquisition to equip young girls with the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to become self-reliant and productive members of society.

The programme provided participants with hands-on training in Adire Making, Screen Printing, liquid soap production, bag weaving and other vocational skills selected to create sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Beyond skills acquisition, the intervention was designed to strengthen entrepreneurial capacity, improve economic resilience, reduce vulnerability to poverty and discourage social vices by providing girls with productive opportunities for income generation.

The training sessions were held at Oja’gbo PHC, Ogbomoso North, Apete PHC, Egbeda, Monatan PHC, Lagelu, Oranyan PHC, Ibadan South East, Ajegunle PHC, Saki West, and Kamorudeen Shittu PHC, Oyo East Local Government Areas of Oyo State, providing beneficiaries across different communities with access to practical learning and empowerment opportunities.

Addressing participants during the programme, the executive secretary of the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muideen Olatunji, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to adolescent development, describing girls as vital to the future of families, communities and the state.

A major highlight of the programme was the practical entrepreneurship session Adire Making and liquid soap production, where participants were trained in production techniques, packaging and basic business management.

The session was designed to give the girls a practical income generating skill that could support financial independence, self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Olatunji expressed appreciation to the development partners, facilitators, healthcare workers, community leaders, parents and other stakeholders whose contributions supported the successful implementation of the intervention.

He stressed that sustained collaboration remains essential to expanding access to adolescent-friendly health services and economic empowerment opportunities across Oyo State.

One of the facilitators, Dr Olufemi Oloyede of the Department of Consumer and Home Economics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, described vocational skills acquisition as a powerful tool for transforming the lives of adolescent girls.

He noted that practical skills have significant commercial potential and can provide reliable sources of income for young entrepreneurs.

Oloyede urged the participants to remain focused, disciplined and committed to putting the knowledge acquired into practice.

The State Adolescent Health Coordinator, Mr Adeniyi Ademola, emphasised that adolescent health remains central to the wellbeing and future of girls.

Commenting on the training, one of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation to Oyo State government and the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board for providing them with the opportunity to acquire practical vocational skills.

They noted that the training had expanded their knowledge, strengthened their confidence and inspired them to consider entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic independence.

Speaking on behalf of the host community, Alhaji Dauda Olayiwola described the initiative as timely, noting that the programme would contribute to improving the socio-economic wellbeing of adolescent girls.