Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday handed over his seat briefly to teenage girl, Joy Ogah, who acted as Nigeria’s ‘Vice President’ for a day, using the opportunity to advocate greater investment in girl-child education and protection.
The symbolic gesture took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a meeting between the Vice President and a delegation from PLAN International led by its director of Programme, Quality and Innovation, Helen Mfonobong Idiong.
Addressing the visiting team, Senator Shettima reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to advancing the rights and education of the Nigerian girl-child, describing the issue as central to the administration’s development agenda.
He said government initiatives such as the school feeding programme remain vital to ensuring that children are healthy and ready to learn.
“We will continue our engagement with PLAN International and see how the force and strength of government can support your solid advice on girl-child education,” Shettima stated.
The vice president added that President Tinubu’s administration is “gender-friendly and inclusive,” stressing that a nation cannot progress if it sidelines half of its population.
He also praised First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu as an example of how empowering the girl-child can produce strong, visionary women leaders.
After his remarks, Shettima invited teenage advocate Joy Ogah to take his seat as “Vice President for a day.”
Speaking from the vice president’s chair, Ogah expressed gratitude for the opportunity and spoke passionately about the challenges confronting Nigerian girls. She noted that about 10.5 million children are out of school nationwide, with over 60 percent of them being girls.
Ogah urged government agencies, policymakers, and development partners to work together to make education safe and inclusive for every child. She also called for the enforcement of laws protecting girls’ rights and the provision of free sanitary products in schools, as well as access to water, sanitation, and nutrition.
“I may be Vice President for a day, but the struggles I represent cannot end in a day,” she said. “Every girl deserves a classroom, a choice, dignity—not silence.”
PLAN International’s representative, Helen Idiong, commended the Federal Government’s support for girl-child education and noted that the organisation has reached over 11 million children across Nigeria through its interventions in education, entrepreneurship, and youth development.
She recalled that a similar event held in 2024 saw a girl take over the Speaker’s seat in the House of Representatives to advocate for the removal of Value Added Tax on sanitary pads—a proposal that was later adopted through the Tax Reforms Act.
Ogah thanked the Federal Government for implementing that reform and appealed for sustained efforts to ensure affordable education and equal opportunities for girls nationwide.
